A traditional Russian soup that is literally bursting with flavor and health.
This recipe has been contributed by my friend Helen. We had some good times and great food together while living in Las Vegas and one of the things I remember is that whenever I visited her house there would be some kind of soup brewing on the stove.
Helen is Australian, of Russian descent and this is her family’s traditional way of making borscht. It is absolutely delicious and loaded with nutrient-dense and antioxidant rich vegetables such as beets and cabbage. Pure health and comfort in a bowl…
Ingredients:
(serves 6)
- 500 g beef (filet)
- 2 potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 1 whole carrot, peeled
- 1 whole onion, peeled
- 3 small beets, peeled
- 8 cups of water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 red capsicum, cored and diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 2 heaped tbsp finely chopped dill
- 2 heaped tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley
- 2 tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1/2 head cabbage, sliced thinly with knife
- 6 tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
Preparation:
- Place beef in a large pot with the bay leaf
- Pour the water on top, bring to boil and skim off any foam that floats to the top
- Add the potato, onion, whole carrot and beets
- Cover and allow to cook for 1/2 hour
- Remove carrot and beets and allow to cool
- Meanwhile, add celery and capsicum
- When the beet and carrot are cool enough to handle, grate largely and return to pot
- Cook for 15 min
- Add the cabbage, dill, parsley, tomato, cayenne, salt and pepper and boil for another 15 minutes
- Remove from fire and add the minced garlic
- Let it sit for at least ½ hour to allow the flavors to develop further
- Remove the beef and shred it
- Before serving, re-heat the soup and place a few spoons of shredded beef into each soup bowl
- Pour over the soup
Enjoy traditionally with a dollop of sour cream and some chopped parsley
From left to right: me, Helen and Lily (another talented home cook) cooking up a storm at home in Las Vegas…
