Borscht
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Borscht is a beetroot and cabbage soup that has long belonged to the kitchens of Ukraine and Western Russia. This version cooks the beets and potatoes separately, then uses their ruby cooking water to simmer the other vegetables, so the color carries through the whole pot. Cider vinegar and a spoonful of brown sugar or honey balance sour against sweet. Finish with cold sour cream and dill.
Instructions
Put the potatoes, beets and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Start the rest of the soup while they cook.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Add the onion and salt, and cook over medium heat, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onion turns translucent.
Add the celery, carrot, cabbage and 2 cups of the liquid from the potatoes and beets. Cover and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Stir in everything that remains: the cooked potatoes and beets with the rest of their liquid, the pepper, dill weed, vinegar, brown sugar or honey, and the tomato purée or paste. Cover and simmer for at least 15 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning.
If the soup looks too thin, simmer it uncovered, adding a little more tomato paste if you like, until it thickens to your taste.
Serve hot, topped with sour cream or yogurt and a sprinkle of dill. You can also pass the sour cream or yogurt at the table so each person adds as much as they want.
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