Borscht

Borscht is a Ukranian soup made predominantly with beets, potato, and cabbage. It is flavored with dill, and served with yogurt or sour cream.

This slightly adapted version of mine is heavily flavored with fresh thyme instead of dill, and contains a few additional vegetables. It makes a filling and healthy soup for the soup obsessed amongst us.

Ingredients (serves 6-8):

1. 4 beets, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
2. 3 potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
3. 2 red onions, chopped
4. 3 stalks celery, sliced
5. 1 cup chopped carrots
6. 4-4.5 cups shredded cabbage
7. 2 tablespoons butter
8. 1 tablespoon olive oil
9. 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
10. 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
11. 2 tablespoons sugar
12. freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
13. salt, as needed

Preparation:

1.  In a saucepan, immerse the potatoes and beets with enough water to cover them and cook until tender
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot, add butter and olive oil. When hot, add onions and saute until tender
3. Add carrots and celery and cook for 5 minutes
4. Add tomato paste and mix evenly with the vegetables
5. Add cabbage and 2 cups of broth or water, and salt as needed. Add thyme. Cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender
6. Now, add the cooked beets and potatoes (along with the water) and mix everything. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes with freshly cracked pepper, sugar, and more thyme or salt, depending on your preference. 
7. Remove from heat and serve

 
I pureed half the batch to make a smooth soup, and the remaining batch was left as is - chunky and with a bite.