Great Meals for a Change

Borscht

A full-bodied deep crimson soup of beets, carrots and cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 10 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 4 medium beets (diced)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) oil/ or butter
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups (480 ml) red cabbage (chopped)
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 4 ripe tomatoes, (1 cup frozen or a 425 g can)
• ¼ cup dried white kidney beans
• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp dill chopped/ 2 tsp dried
• 2 tbsp parsley chopped/ 2 tsp dried
• yogurt or cream to garnish (optional)

Instructions:

• Soak kidney beans overnight, then drain and rinse
• Heat vegetable / or chicken stock with rinsed beans for 1 hour, until beans are tender
• Peel and dice beets and carrots
• Heat oil/ butter in a soup pot over medium heat
• Add onion, 1 tsp salt and bay leaves, sauté until the onions are soft and translucent
• Add carrots, sauté for 10 more minutes
• Stir in beets, cabbage and 1 tsp salt
• Add vegetable/ or chicken stock and beans to vegetables and cover and bring to a simmer
• Cook until vegetables are tender
• Add tomatoes, apple cider vinegar and half of the herbs, and simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender
• Serve with lemon juice, remaining herbs, salt & pepper to taste (optional dollop of yogurt or cream)