Red Borsch

Pronounced BORE-sh-ch. Delicious. There are at least as many ways to make this as there are Ukrainians, but this recipe is dang good. It's rather on the rich side; you can use more broth and fewer flavorings if it suits you.

Ingredients

• 6 medium beets, shredded
• 1 medium or large onion, chopped
• 1 head of cabbage, slivered
• 1 lb. carrots, grated
• 1/2 c. oil
• 1 pint buttermilk (reconstituted dried, fresh cultured, or real buttermilk from soured cream all OK)
• 1 can (size?) tomato paste
• Chicken bouillion cubes to taste
• 1 lb chicken, ground beef, or beef roast in bite-sized pieces
• Fresh parsley and dill, if at all possible.

Sauté onions in oil; add carrots, tomato paste, and buttermilk to the skillet, and cook to somewhat soften the carrots. In a large pot, brown the meat. Add the cabbage and beets and cover with water. To this add the contents of the skillet, with bouillion cubes and more water if needed. It should be pretty thick, and it will be rich. Simmer until tender. If possible, add chopped parsley and dill just before serving. Serve with a dollop of sour cream to stir in, and bread on the side.

In Ukrainian and Russian culture, a soup is the first course of dinner (midday dinner, about one o'clock) unless you've also got a salad. The lighter foods are supposed to warm up the stomach for the serious work of a solid, meat-based entree. Of these, PelMeni are my favorite to serve with borsch.

See also GreenBorsch .