Classic Russian Borsch / Russian Beet Soup

Classic Russian Borsch / Russian Beet Soup

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cook timing: 1 hour 40 minutes

Serves: 5

Adapted from here

Ingredients

5 cups water plus 3 cups of vegetable broth

1 or 2 large beets, thoroughly washed and peeled

1 large potatoes, sliced into bite-sized pieces

1 cup cabbage, thinly chopped

1 cup cooked  kidney beans with its cooked water

2 tbsp lemon juice

½ tsp ground pepper or to taste

½  tbsp chopped dill

Salt to taste

Saute seperately and add to the soup

2 tbsp of cooking oil

1 bay leaves

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 carrots, grated

2 tbsp ketchup

1/ 2 ~ 1 tsp red chill powder or to taste (optional and original doesnt call for it)

Method:

1. In a soup pot, add 5 cups of water along with peeled beets. Cover and cook  for about 1 hour. Once the beets are cooked or when beets are soft to prick with a butter knife, remove from the water and set aside to cool.

2. In the same water, add sliced potatoes and continue to cook  for 15-20 minutes.

3. Heat oil to the skillet and saute onion and carrot and bay leaves until they are soft. Stir in ketchup and red chilli powder ( If you add some) and cook for few minutes.

4. Meantime add thinly sliced cabbage to the pot when potatoes are half way done.

5. Slice the beets into cubes and add them back to the pot.

6. Now add 3 cups Vegetable broth, lemon juice, pepper,  kidney beans (with it stack) to the pot.

7. Add sauteed carrots and onion to the pot along with chopped dill. Adjust salt to taste.

8. Cook another 5-10 minutes, until the cabbage is done. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or real mayo or simply with minced dill leaves.

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