Borscht! Or, in this case, a soup that is Borscht’s distant vegetarian cousin. My housemate continues to bring back boxes of incredible produce from the farm he works at and it;s been building up in the kitchen- abundance! I wanted to make some soup today, and there were some beets and an insanely large cabbage, as well as some sour cream in the fridge. So, I’m listening to the Decemberists and my housemate hammering in the finishing touches on the cider press on the porch, just finished adding the last of the beets and potato, and thought I’d pass on the recipe.

Ingredients;

• olive oil
• onions
• garlic
• fennel
• carrots
• cabbage
• potatos
• beets
• vegetable stock (homemade if possible. I usually make it with scraps from another dish or soup and then keep it in the freezer.)
• salt and pepper
• lemon juice
• sour cream
• parsley

Directions:

• chop onions, garlic, fennel, carrots, cabbage, potato, beets. cut a few beets in thin spears and set aside for later.
• saute onions in olive oil in large soup pot until tender.
• add carrots, cabbage, fennel, and garlic and cook until the cabbage starts to get tender sprinkle in salt and pepper.
• add potatoes and beets, followed by the broth.
• bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. cook until beets and potatoes are tender.
• use an immersion blender to puree. if you don’t have one, get one. these things are the heart of soup making. also easier to clean than a regular blender. i use them for smoothies.
• add lemon juice.
• serve with a dollop of sour cream, beet slivers, and parsley.