How to make Borscht

Ingredients

• 500 g beef on the bone, or 1.5 litres good meat stock
• 2 medium beetroots, peeled and cut in thin strips
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion and 1 carrot, finely chopped
• A quarter of a white cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed, and a handful of chopped dill
• Sunflower oil, salt, pepper, 2 bay leaves
• Sour cream to serve

Method

1. If using beef, cover it with 2 litres of cold water, bring to the boil, skim, add the bay leaves and simmer for about 1 hour. Lift out the meat and cut it into pieces.
2. Fry the onion and carrot in a little oil for 5 minutes. Add the beetroot, the tomato paste and the vinegar and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. The vinegar helps keep the red colour.
3. Bring the stock back to the boil, add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes more.
4. Stir in the beetroot mixture and the meat, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat, add the garlic and dill, cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
5. Serve hot with a spoonful of sour cream and dark bread or garlic buns.