Vegetarian Borscht

I don't like beets at all in any form, so I find it quite amusing that this borscht is one of my most requested recipes. Since I created the recipe from an amalgamation of a dozen or so that I had read, I didn’t have measurements for the ingredients. I've tried to recreate it here for you and I think I've got it down. I've also included two methods to prepare the borscht, both of which I've tried with great results.

• 3 or 4 carrots, peeled & sliced
• 3 or 4  stalks of celery, sliced
• 4 or 5 waxy potatoes, cubed or 1 large russet, peeled & cubed
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 to 4 beets (depending on what size you can get), peeled and cubed
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 head of cabbage, shredded (optional)
• 2 quarts vegetable stock
• 2 TBSPS butter, melted
• sea salt & pepper to taste
• dried dill weed to taste
• A couple large dollops of sour cream (optional), to be served on the side

Option #1: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place the cubed beets in a large dutch oven and drizzle with butter.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir.  Roast, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the beets are tender when pierced with a fork.  Carefully remove the dutch oven from the oven and place on cook top over medium high heat.  Add the remainder of the veggies & canned tomatoes, the vegetable stock and cabbage, if using, and simmer for 15 minutes or so until the tomatoes break down and the cabbage is soft. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Option #2: 

Heat butter in a large stockpot & briefly saute the onion, beets, carrots, and potatoes with a sprinkle of salt. Add the canned tomatoes, vegetable stock, and cabbage (if using). Taste and season with the salt, pepper, and dried dill. Bring soup to a low boil then cover and immediately turn down to simmer for a couple hours or until the veggies are soft enough to pierce with a fork. Taste again and adjust the seasonings as necessary. 

Recipe Notes:

1. The amount of vegetables to use is up to you and how many people you’ll be feeding; that’s the great thing about soups–they’re guidelines!  You could include parsnips as well since they’ll caramelize nicely when roasted and add an extra dimension of flavor.  Same with the amount of stock; it’s equal to 8 cups of liquid which will make a large batch.  If you use less stock, it’ll be a thicker soup.  Up to you!
2. Cabbage is traditional in Middle European dishes and I’ve run across several other borscht recipes in which it’s an integral ingredient.  I happen to like it but I know that not everyone does. You can just use a prepackaged bag of the angel hair coleslaw mix sold at grocery stores.
3. Beets.  If you buy young or small beets and then roast them which causes the sugars to caramelize, you end up with a completely different and more complex flavor than the more earthy flavor with which you may be familiar.  Beets WILL stain your hands and clothes and counter tops and cutting boards; peel them over some old newspapers, wear disposable gloves if you have them and don’t wear a favorite shirt.  If you use an acrylic cutting board, scrub it down with a handful of salt after cubing the beets and let it soak in a mild bleach water solution.  As for your hands; I just read a tip that if you soak your hands in Polident (or a generic brand), it will even get the stains out from under your nails.  I don’t worry about my hands because by the time I get done in the kitchen, I’ve washed so many pots and pans, the color’s all but gone by then.
4. Dill is a traditional seasoning used in the European cuisines of Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Serbia. It can be overpowering if you're not used to the taste, so add it in small quantities; you can always add more but you can't remove it.

Serve your borscht with slices of rye bread and cured meats or as a starter to a meal of beer braised short ribs and mashed potatoes.