The Don’s World Famous “Everything but the Kitchen Sink” MEAL SIZE Borscht

When I posted about my dad’s delicious borscht on my Instagram, several people requested the recipe. My dad being Ukrainian, it’s an often-enjoyed soup in my family and I hope you’ll enjoy it, too. From here, you’re getting the copy and paste of this recipe, straight from my pops:

TIP #1 Save time and grief – source all ingredients and prep them, BEFORE doing anything else.

Tip #2 You’re not building a piano - measurements are approximate, *4 veggies are optional.

Preparation time – depending on your organizational skills 30-60 minutes. Cooking time about an hour or so.

Phase One Veggies – Prep and place in a bowl

- 1 large or two small onions diced

- 2-3 stalks of celery chopped into smallish chunks

- *Chopped Celery leaves are a great addition

- 3-4 (or more) cloves of garlic finely diced (put in its own little bowl)

Phase two Veggies - Prep and place in large bowl

- 2-3 cups shredded cabbage

- 2-3 large diced or sliced carrots

- *2-3 parsnips – cut into smaller chunks - adds subtle but wonderful flavor

Other Veggies – Prep and place in their own bowls

- 2-3 medium potatoes cut into 1” cubes

- 2-3 cups medium beets shredded beets

- *1-2 cups fresh green beans cut into bite size pieces

- *1 cup or more cups frozen peas

- ¼ cup or more chopped dill

Other Ingredients

- 2-3 cups bouillon (I use ‘Better Than Bouillon’ organic vegetarian syrup)

- I – 19 oz. tin diced tomatoes or fresh ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced

- ¼ cup fresh lemon Juice

- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

- 1 tbsp. sugar

- 1-2-3 tsp salt (to taste)

- 1- tsp of ground black pepper

- tsp each ground rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil & oregano

- Water as needed to maintain a soupy consistency (could be 6-10 cups – I keep it hot in a kettle)

Cooking Instructions (I think sautéing brings out the flavor)

- Put 3-4 tbsp. canola oil in large pot and place on medium heat

- Sautee Phase One Veggies for 3-4 minutes – add garlic last

- Add Phase Two Veggies and stir fry for 3-4 minutes

- Add all ‘Other Ingredients’ then water as needed – bring back to a perk

- Add potatoes and beets then perk for about 35-40 minutes

- Add beans, peas and dill – perk about 10 minutes

- Make sure your pot is large enough to prevent boiling over - you may cover and turn down heat a bit.

- Add additional water as desired, but a good borscht should be thick and hearty.

- Perk for another 5 minutes or so. Take off heat and let sit until you’re ready to eat – it’ll stay hot for an hour.

Serve in bowls with a dollop of sour cream, a bit of fresh dill for garnish, alongside thick-sliced sourdough or dark rye bread (and butter, of course). Don’t burn your mouth! Dip your bread until the soup cools to a safe temperature. Enjoy!