Ukrainian Borscht

Submitted by Gisèle Grégoire

This soup is very hearty and can be served as a meal!

Broth ingredients

2 lb short ribs

12 cups of water

2 tsp of salt

1 carrot scraped

1 whole medium onion stuck with several (5 or 6) cloves

1 medium celery (1/4 for broth and cube the remainder for soup)

1 well-rounded tbsp of tomato paste

Soup ingredients

4 large beets without tops

2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter

2 large onions coarsely chopped

2 cups chopped cabbage (red or green)

1 medium turnip (cut in small pieces)

1 medium parsnip (cut in small pieces)

1 large carrot (cut in small pieces)

2 medium potatoes (cut in small pieces)

8 -10 large garlic cloves, minced

One half tsp ground black pepper

Juice of half a lemon (or more to taste)

1 cup sour cream

3 tbsp finely chopped dill weed (or more to taste)

Preparation of Broth

1. In a large pot, bring meat and water to boil. Reduce to simmer and skim off foam.

2. When foam stops, add salt, carrot, whole onion, celery and tomato paste. Simmer gently, partially covered for one and half to two hours until meat falls off the bone.

Preparation of Soup

1. To prepare beets, heat oven to 400F. While broth is cooking, scrub the beets, wrap in foil, and bake for one hour or until just tender. Cool the beets and then peel them easily and cut them into cubes or shred on coarse side of grater if preferred.

2. After one and half to two hours, when broth meat is very tender, remove it from pot, strip it off the bones and cut it into small cubes. Place in bowl and cover with foil.

3. Strain broth, dispose of broth vegetables, and clean soup pot.

4. Place pot over medium heat, warm the oil (or butter) and sauté chopped onions for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add the cubed celery, parsnip, turnip, carrot and shredded cabbage. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.

6. Add the strained broth, potatoes, beets and meat (if desired). Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, uncover for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

7. While the soup is simmering, stir in garlic, pepper, and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning and remove from heat immediately.

8. Ladle soup in bowl, add a dollop of sour cream and a generous sprinkling of dill.

Serves 6 to 8. ENJOY!