Quick Borchch

I like this very much. I’ve made it a few times now and it’s my favorite borchch recipe. I spell it that way because it’s closer to the original Russian.

6 cups beef broth, canned or fresh 2 cups tomato juice 1 1-lb can beets with juice, sliced (or cubed) 1 small head of cabbage (prefer red), shredded ( or chopped) 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 3 medium carrots, sliced (or a can of carrots) 2 Tbsp butter Salt and pepper 2 cloves garlic (or more) 2 Tbsp. chopped dill 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley Sour cream (optional)

Combine beef broth, tomato juice, and beets and their liquid. Bring to boil. Add shredded cabbage and cook until cabbage is soft but not mushy, 25-30 minutes. Saute onion and carrots in butter until soft and add to cabbage mixture. Taste for seasoning, amount of salt will depend on saltiness of beef broth. Therefore, unsalted beef broth is better so you can control the levels. Add salt and pepper to taste. Approximately 5 minutes before serving add chopped garlic, dill and parsley to soup. Taste for seasoning, and serve with sour cream on the side.

Who knew I could eat beets without gagging? The dill really helps take away the “dirt flavor” of the beets. You can skip sauteeing the carrots and onions, but if you do, add the carrots with the cabbage so they cook properly, then add the onions with the garlic and dill and parsley.