Best of Borscht

My maternal grandmother had Polish roots but was born and raised on Treaty 2 in the Manitoba prairies. I remember Grandma always had a batch of soup on the stove or in her freezer, including borscht. Although I don't actually have my grandma's borscht recipe, this is how I like to picture her making it with her garden grown beets, potatoes, cabbage, and dill (the lemon is likely my own addition as I love my borscht a little tart). Borscht is packed with antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C and beta carotene, as well as potassium, folate, and fibre. For a complete, balanced meal add a little protein on the side, such as: plain Greek yogurt, slices of cheese, a side of hummus and crackers, or a few slices of farmer sausage.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive or camelina oil
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
4 beets, peeled and cubed
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 cups cabbage, shredded in food processor (I often use purple cabbage)
1 tbsp parsley, dried
4 tbsp lemon juice (juice from 1 whole lemon)
1 ½ cups fresh dill, chopped
6-8 cups vegetable broth (homemade broth see recipe here)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1) Heat the oil in a large soup pot and saute the onion, garlic, and carrots a few minutes.
2) Add the beets, potatoes, cabbage, and parsley, sauteeing a few more minutes.
3) Include the vegetable broth, lemon, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for 1 hour.
4) Half way throught the cooking time, add your fresh dill and taste the soup, adding more salt as needed.