Ukrainian Borscht

This is how my husband's grandmother made borscht. His aunt gave me the recipe. I sometimes vary the veggies depending on what I have on hand. Cabbage is a good addition.

Ukrainian Borscht
8 cups water

3 medium beets

2-3 carrots, peeled

3 potatoes, peeled if desired

1 small chopped onion

2-3 chopped stalks of celery

1 can of diced or whole tomatoes

1 tsp salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste

1 can of brown beans

1 T parsley

1/2 cup of fresh dill

 

Boil beets, carrots and potatoes until softened.

 

Sauté onion and celery in a pan with a bit of butter or oil.

Love the pretty purple carrots.

Remove vegetables from water, remove skin from beets and chop beets and carrots, and mash potatoes. Return vegetables to water, add all other ingredients and simmer together until cooked through.

We enjoyed some whole wheat rolls and garlic butter with our borscht.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top. You can also add a squeeze of lemon or a bit of vinegar if you prefer a more sour taste.

I don't often add something sour, but tonight I was having trouble achieving the characteristic sour taste since all the veggies were so young and sweet. Adding some fresh lemon juice seemed to do the trick.