Borscht from Kiev

[Gadget]

This is the real thing.. However  ??? if you are vegetarian I would suggest that you ignore all meat references and use some vegetable boullin instead...is just as lovely  :)

• Ingredients
STOCK
1 1/2 lb beef chuck roast boneless
1 lb beef marrow bones
1 lb ham bone meaty
1 each onion large grated
1 each carrot grated
3 qt water
1 each turnip peeled & grated
1 each celery rib w/leaves sliced*
3 each dill sprigs*
3 each parsley sprigs*
12 each black peppercorns whole*
4 each bay leaves*

For the Soup
3 beetroots large peeled grated
Juice of half a lemon
4  potatos peeled and cubed 1
16 oz plum tomatos skinned & coarsely chopped
1 onion large chopped
1 carrot sliced
1 bell pepper chopped
4 tablespoons of olive (or sunflower) oil
1 tsp salt
1 small cabbage shredded
3 tbsp tomato paste
6 each prunes pitted & chopped
1 tsp honey
1 tsp black pepper fresh ground
1 small pot of sour cream or plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves minced
2 bacon strips fried & crumbled (OPTIONAL)
2 tbsp parlsey fresh chopped
3 tbsp dill fresh chopped

• Method
All ingredients marked with the { * } are to be placed in a small cloth bag. Tie the bag shut and place into the stock pot. Place stock cubes and water in a large stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat for 20 minutes. Remove back.

Bring the stock to a boil add the tomatos, potatos and salt & pepper and cook for 10 minutes on low heat covered. Cook the onions, carrot,& Bell pepper in a cast iron skillet (or I use a big frying pan) for approx. 5 minutes.. Stir in the cabbage and continue to cook the vegetables for 10 more minutes. Remove the vegetables from heat and add to the stock. Sprinkle the juice of a lemon over the beets and add them to the stock. Add the tomatos, tomato paste, and honey to the stock and continue to boil. Remove the meat from the bones, strip the marrow out of the marrow bones, and cube the beef 1/2" & add all of this to the stock and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and serve after adding a generous dollop of sour cream to each bowl.

[Gadget]

[zigzig]

Love beetroot in many ways but always have the most terrible fright the following day with purple poo.

[Gadget]

I know what you mean there the first time I had Purple poo I thought that I had an internal bleeding... ;D ;D

[antipodes]

Not to mention the pink pee!!!!!!

That sounds like enough borscht to feed an army! I take it that a soup made with commercial stock and beetroot with resonable quantities of potato, tomato, cabbage, lemon and sour cream and spices will probably make something just as nice??? I have never eaten it myself but am now tempted to try and make a "mock" version!

[Gadget]

It actually freezes really well too so you can batch it up for a later date.  Commercial stock is absolutely fine, as is any veg stock cube.  :)

[Kleftiwallah]

Maddhur Jaffrey has an excelent recipe for beetroot, goes well with curry (of course).   :o  Cheers,   Tony.