Borscht (Beet Soup)

Ingredients

• 3 cans (14 ounce) beef broth
• 2 medium beets
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 3 potatoes
• ¼ head of cabbage
• 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ green pepper
• ½ fresh parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Vegetable or olive oil
• Sour cream as garnish
• Sugar, to taste

Procedure

1. Prepare onions and carrots by chopping them.
2. Pour a little vegetable oil into a skillet and add the carrots and onions. Cook until softened, and set aside.
3. Peel the beets and chop or slice both into small bite-sized pieces.
4. Remove the seeds from the green pepper and chop.
5. Put the chopped beets and green pepper into a small saucepan and add about ½ cup of broth and the tomato paste. Cover the pot and simmer the vegetables for about 30 minutes until the beets are tender.
6. While the beets and peppers are cooking, pour the remaining broth into a large saucepan and heat it almost to boiling.
7. Chop the cabbage and add it to the broth.
8. Peel the potatoes, cut them into bite-size pieces and add to broth.
9. Add cooked onions and carrots to broth. Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes.
10. When the beets are tender, add them to the broth. Add lemon juice, salt, sugar, parsley, and garlic cloves.
11. Simmer 10 more minutes, and serve hot, with a dollop of sour cream in each bowl.

Serves 10 to 12.

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