The recipe for this winter-warming Ukrainian-style borscht comes from PLEASE TO THE TABLE The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen & John Welchman. This quick version without meat and can be made with chicken or vegetable stock.
Melt 60g (2 oz) of butter in a large soup pot and gently fry 1 large finely diced onion, 1 large finely diced green pepper and one large grated carrot and saute until the onion and pepper soften. Stir in 3½ cups of finely shredded cabbage, 1 large peeled and grated betroot and a finely diced stick of celery. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in ½ a tart apple diced into medium chunks, 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into larger chunks, 170g (6 oz) of tomato paste and 4 cloves of minced garlic. Add 1.9 litres (2 quarts) of stock, a bay leaf and 12 whole peppercorns (these can be tied in a muslin cloth as a bouquet garni of you wish to remove them later). Bring to the boil then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Finally, add 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, ½ a teaspoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and dill (if you have it!) and serve with sour cream.
michelle picker cooks 