What's On The Menu?

This recipe search was inspired by my good friend who told me about the yummy goodness of Borscht.  She dating a Ukrainian/Russian (I forget), but he's been exposing her to all types of tasty treats that are common in his country (Benefits to dating internationally lol).  She explained it to me as a cabbage soup, and being that we grew up eating cabbage it wasn't that hard for me to imagine the flavors.  There are a few subtle differences being that the way our moms made it was by boiling the cabbage with a piece of pork ie. ham hock or pork belly.  Borscht on the other hand is tomato based with other veggies added to give the dish more depth and heartiness.  I'll be honest, the only reason I was familiar with this dish was because on Rugrats the babies took a bath in it after they were sprayed by a skunk (back in the day with the good cartoons).

Ukrainian Red Borscht Soup
Ingredients


1 (16 ounce) package pork sausage

3 medium beets, peeled and shredded

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste3/4 cup water

1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded

1 (8 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste

1/2 cup sour cream, for topping1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

1.Crumble the sausage into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until no longer pink. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2.Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage, and the can of diced tomatoes.

3.Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.

4.Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.