Ukrainian cuisine is built around soup. From the ruby-red borscht to the tangy rassolnik, Ukrainian soups are warming, flavourful, and, as it turns out, surprisingly well-suited to healthy eating.
Why Ukrainian soups are great for weight loss
Most Ukrainian soups are vegetable-forward, high in fibre, and naturally low in calories. Unlike the cream-heavy soups of Western European cuisine, the Ukrainian tradition favours clarity: a deep stock enriched with vegetables, a little meat or legume for protein, and fresh herbs at the end.
The result is food that is satisfying, without the calorie load.
10 soups to know
1. light Summer Borscht (210 kcal)
The most famous Ukrainian soup, made lighter. The key is using a vegetable stock base and going easy on the potato. Topped with a small spoon of sour cream and fresh dill.
2. Rassolnik (195 kcal)
A pickle-forward barley soup with kidney beans. The brine from the pickles gives it a savoury depth that feels indulgent but isn’t.
3. Solyanka (280 kcal)
A rich, slightly spicy mixed meat soup with olives, capers, and lemon. Originally a feast dish, made lighter here with chicken and no added fat.
4. Kapustnyak (175 kcal)
Sauerkraut soup with buckwheat. The fermented cabbage provides probiotics; the buckwheat makes it filling. An underrated gem.
5. Potato and Dill Soup (190 kcal)
Deceptively simple. A good stock, good potatoes, and a generous hand with fresh dill. Ready in 20 minutes.
6. Bean and Smoked Paprika Soup (260 kcal)
White beans slow-cooked with smoked paprika and tomato. Plant-based protein at its most comforting.
7. Mushroom and Barley (220 kcal)
Wild mushrooms give this soup an almost meaty depth. Pearl barley provides slow-releasing carbohydrates.
8. Cold Kefir Soup / Okroshka (180 kcal)
Served cold in summer, a kefir or kvass base with cucumber, radish, spring onion, and hard-boiled egg. Unusual but refreshing.
9. Lentil and Carrot Soup (245 kcal)
Red lentils melt into a silky purée. Finished with a small swirl of kefir and fresh coriander.
10. Green Borscht / Sorrel Soup (165 kcal)
Made with sorrel instead of beetroot, brightly sour, spring-fresh, and very quick to make.
The calorie breakdown at a glance
| Soup | Calories | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Borscht | 210 kcal | 8g | 9g |
| Rassolnik | 195 kcal | 11g | 7g |
| Solyanka | 280 kcal | 24g | 4g |
| Kapustnyak | 175 kcal | 7g | 8g |
| Potato & Dill | 190 kcal | 5g | 6g |
What makes them filling despite the low calories?
Three things:
- High water content, soup is volume eating done right
- Fibre from vegetables and legumes, slows gastric emptying
- Hot temperature, eating hot food tends to slow consumption pace
The result: soups score very highly on satiety-per-calorie measures. A 250kcal bowl of borscht keeps you full significantly longer than a 250kcal sandwich.
