Ukrainian Traditional Borsch (Beet soup).

In Ukraine and Russia people like to eat borsch. It is a traditional Ukrainian dish but it has different variations. Ukrainian people prefer pork broth as a basis of this soup but you can have a beef or chicken broth as a basis of it. You can make a vegetarian variant of borsch and still it will be very tasty. Usually Ukrainian or Russian family cook borsch not only for one meal but keep the rest of it refrigerated and use it the next day. They say it tastes better the next day. All vitamins are in this soup because you use a lot of vegetables.

What ingredients do you need for borsch?

Of course, a beet( middle size), some carrots( 1-2 of middle size),chopped onion ( 1 small will be enough),tomato paste ( 2-3 table spoons) or a fresh tomato( one big), some vinegar or lemon juice, some cabbage, two potatoes( middle size), some salt, some sugar, some chopped garlic, some onion chives( your choice), some Sauer cream( to serve it with borsch at the end), a small bay leaf ,some vegetable oil.

Procedure:

Crop the beet on the grater, put it on the frying pan or on the microwave dish (add some vinegar or lemon juice for color preservation), add tomato paste or grated tomato and a table spoon of vegetable oil. You can cook the ingredients under the cover for 10 minutes on the stove or 5 minutes in the microwave. Chopped onions and carrots you must cook separately on the other frying pan on the stove or in the microwave (on the microwave dish) also covered with a little bit vegetable oil added. Cut the cabbage leaves very thinly and the potatoes into small cubes. For cutting vegetables you may use a food processor. It will take less time to cook the soup.

Begin to put all ingredients in the boiling broth or water (if you are making the vegetarian borsch). The quantity of water or broth depends on the members of the family you have. First, put the cabbage and potatoes, and then in 10 minutes put all other already cooked ingredients. Put some salt and sugar on your taste and a small bay leaf. When the borsch is ready (potato must be soft), you may serve it with the Sauer cream and chopped garlic or onion chives .It tastes greatly! (Even better on the second day).