[Not Your] Babushka’s Beet Borscht

Adapted from my families’ traditional Ukrainian and Belarussian recipes – but modified to include vegetarian and vegan options!

Ingredients:

• Beef, chicken, or vegan/vegetarian stock (about 3 quarts or 3 Liters)
  • pre-made or packaged, if you like
  • bonus health points for bone broth (turmeric optional recipe here)!
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 1 large onion
• 3 large beets
• 2-3 carrots
• 3-4 large potatoes
• 6 oz canned tomato paste
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• large pot
• medium skillet
• bay leaves, to taste
• whole black pepper, to taste
• garlic, to taste
• clove, to taste
• sea salt or Himalayan salt, to taste
• optional garnishes: [vegan] sour cream, freshly chopped dill and/or parsley and/or scallions, sliced cooked egg, and rye bread – for serving

Directions:

1. Gather all materials
2. Wash, peel and chop vegetables as follows
   1. Beets and carrots into thin slices
   2. Onion, chopped
   3. Potatoes – diced into small pieces
   4. Cabbage – shredded uniformly with a knife or mandoline (affiliate link)
3. Bring your broth of choice to a boil in a large pot, then stir in the cabbage and bring to boil again. Then reduce to simmer.
4. In the meantime, sauté the onion, beets and carrots in a skillet with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Transfer this mixture, along with potatoes and tomato paste, to the stock pot.
6. Bring to a boil again, and then reduce to simmer.
7. Peel 3 (or more!) cloves of garlic, crush them on a tabletop, and let it sit for a minute.
8. Stir in additional condiments – bay leaves, black pepper, salt, cloves (start with a couple if you’re not familiar with the taste!) and the freshly crushed garlic.
9. Let simmer for 5 minutes, then stir and turn off heat.
10. Serve with a dollop of sour cream (or vegan alternative), and chopped fresh dill/parsley/scallions as garnish. Also goes really well with a slice of rye bread, rubbed with fresh garlic and butter (or plant-based alternative). Some people also love to serve with a couple of slices of a cooked egg. Enjoy!
11. Keeps in the fridge for 6 days, and in the freezer for 3 months.

Let me know how this turns out for you and which substitutions you used, if any!