Borscht [My version of a popular Russian soup]

Greetings all!

One of my all-time favorite soups is borscht, which you might know as beet soup. If you hate beets, omit them from the recipe and you will still get a tasty vegetable soup! Here is my super-lazy variation of this popular Russian soup.

Basic recipe ingredients:

• 1 onion (dice)
• 1lb / 400g of cabbage (shred)
• 3 large potatoes (peel and cube)
• 1/2lb / 200g of carrots (grate)
• 1-2 medium beets (grate or cut)
• Salt/pepper to taste; your favorite spices
• Garnish with dill or parsley (optional)
• Serve with sour cream (optional)

 Instructions and variations:

• Fill large pot with water and add cubed potatoes and shredded cabbage and boil for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are soft. I sometimes replace half of potatoes with cauliflower and add beans.
• In a large saucepan, heat up a bit of oil and sautee the onion (and/or garlic) for a couple of minutes. Add grated carrots and beets and sautee for 20-30 minutes. You can do this with water, without adding oil. You can also add bell peppers and tomatoes to the mix.
• Add sauteed onion/beet/carrot mixture into the pot with potatoes and cabbage. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Add sat & pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve with sour cream. 

 Tips:

• My version is vegetarian but traditionally this soup is made with beef.
• For a heartier vegetarian option, add a sliced hard-boiled egg when serving. I learned this trick in Indonesia where every dish I ordered had an egg in some form. 
• I like having rye bread with my borscht!

Image from https://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/borscht.html

Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!