Borscht Soup

Russian Borscht is a time consuming recipe but would sweep the feet underneath for food lovers. The deep ruby color of the dish is mesmerizing and nutritious. 

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

2 large beets, thoroughly washed
2 large potatoes, sliced into bite sized pieces
4 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 grated carrots
½ head of cabbage, finely chopped
1 can of kidney beans with their juice
2 bay leaves
10 cups of water
6 cups of broth
5 tablespoons of ketchup
4 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1/4th teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon of chopped dill

Method:

1. In a large cooking pot, add 16 cups of water and place on medium flame. 
2. Add beets in the cooking pot. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour. 
3. Remove the beets from the pot and set aside to cool. Keep the water in the pot. 
4. Add sliced potatoes in the same water and boil for 15 minutes. 
5. Add grated carrots and onion. 
6. Add 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and sauté the vegetables. It takes about 10 minutes to make them soft. 
7. Add ketchup and stir well the mixture at the end. 
8. Add ½ shredded cabbage to the pot when the potatoes are half way cooked. 
9. Peel and slice the beets into the pot. 
10. Add 6 cups of broth, lemon juice, pepper, bay leaves and can of kidney beans (along with their juice) to the pot. 
11. Add sautéed carrots and onions with chopped dill. 
12. Cook the mixture on medium flame for 10 minutes or until the cabbage is done. 
13. Serve in a soup bowl along with real mayo or sour cream.