Borscht – my all-time favorite soup. Hearty, soothing, and just down right awesome. And, if you have lots of root vegetables, a good fridge clearing event! Kids love it because of its color and flavor. Parents love it because it is a natural remedy for curing common colds and aches. And during Christmas – it is just perfectly festive! I recommend doubling the recipe since it takes so long, and this portion will go fast!

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Borscht Ingredients

• 5-6 beets (approximately 1 1/4 lb)
• 3 carrots (shredded – 1 cup)
• 1 cabbage wedge (shredded – 1 cup)
• 3 potatoes
• 2 onions
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• Fresh chopped dill
• Sour Cream
• 4-6 lemon wedges for serving

Soup Stock Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lb beef + bone (any will do, go as fatty or as lean as your tastes prefer)
• 8 cups water
• 1 carrot
• 1 parsnip
• 1 celeriac
• 1 onion
• 2 bay leaves
• 4-5 peppercorns
• 2-3 fresh parsley stalks
• 1 tsp salt

Recipes

Soup Stock Recipe

1. Place beef (and bone) into a large pot. Add water and bring to boil.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Skim off any fat / oil / residue that boils off.
4. Add cleaned and stripped carrot, parsnip, celeriac, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley and salt to the pot.
5. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
6. Remove vegetables and spices from the pot and discard.
7. Remove meat (and bone) from the pot. Cut the meat into small chunks. Set aside for later.

Borscht Recipe

1. Add cleaned and stripped beets and carrots to the pot.
2. Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Remove the beets and carrots from the pan and cool.
4. Add sliced / shredded cabbage and sliced onions, plus diced potatoes, to the pot.
5. Bring back to boil, then reduce and simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Grate (coarse) the beets and carrots, and add to the pot.
7. Add tomato paste, sugar and salt to the pot.
8. Add the meat from earlier to the pot.
9. Return to simmer for 10 minutes.
10. Serve in bowls, topped with sour cream and fresh dill, with a side lemon wedge.