Borsch

With a bag full of beetroot that needed eating it had to be Borsch, the Ukranian/Russian beetroot soup. It's not a regular dish in our house but after this delicious recipe we'll certainly be making it more often. 

Ingredients
800g beetroot, washed
3 medium potatoes, sliced then chopped into bite-sized pieces
4 tbsp Veg oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 small carrots, grated
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced then chopped 
400g red kidney beans, tinned
2 bay leaves
2 ltr water
l ltr vegetable stock
3 tbsp tomato paste

1 beef tomato
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp chopped dill

Method

In a large stock pot add the 2 litres of water and the beetroot. Cover and boil for about 1 hour. Test if they are cooked with a knife. They should be soft enough. Remove from the water and set aside to cool. Keep the water. 

Add the potatoes to the water and boil for 1o minutes then add the cabbage and boil for a further 10 minutes.

Meanwhile grate the carrots. Then in a frying pan, heat the veg oil to a medium high heat. Add the chopped onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a further minute.

Peel and slice the beetroot then cut into thick matchsticks.  Add them to the boiled potato and cabbage. Also add  the red kidney beans, including the tinned water, the vegetable stock, bay leaves, pepper and lemon juice.

Also add the carrot and onion mix. Cook for a further 10 minutes. 

Serve immediately with a dollop of soured cream and a sprinkling of dill.  Alternatively allow to cool, keep in the fridge overnight for the flavours and colours to intensify. Reheat gently in a pan.