This soup is about as red as it gets–while packed with all kinds of vegetables and good stuff for little boys and girls, grown-ups and joyful or even grumpy hermits. You must like beets to like Borscht which is an Eastern European soup usually topped with a dollop of sour cream.  I like to show a recipe by photos; so, see here!

Above, notice that I sauté some onions; and yes, they should be red onions but was using up the white.  Waste not, want not.  In the left photo I added 5 med. chopped, red beets with stems.  To the right, see the mound of  3 carrots, the beet greens, and half a cabbage (used green but if had red, all the better) is chopped, ready to toss in the pot.  Best to chop all first!

Here we have the onions, beets and carrots simmering in cohesion with one another; root vegetables always get along with one another, I’ve noticed.  Soon I will add a quart (4 cups) vegetable broth I found on clearance at ALDI, but traditional Borscht calls for beef broth.  I suppose chicken broth would do.

After the broth is added, I included the chopped beet greens and cabbage, along with 2 cups of water or more until the consistency is chunky smooth (cooks down) yet has some liquidity.  Not shown (photograph too small!) are the black pepper, sea salt, and Joyful Hermit’s Fiat Lux™ herbal liqueur with which I seasoned this soup, to taste.  Simmer until the vegetables are tender, adding seasoning and liqueur (if wanted) prior to serving.

See how striking a soup statement this red soup makes, particularly on a cold, after-Christmas day, served on my dear, late mother’s everyday potteryware purchased the year I was born.  See, also, how it looks dabbed with sour cream compared to the sour cream stirred in.  You pick!

Joyful Hermit’s Borscht Soup

2 red onions, chopped            5 medium beets w/stems, chopped            3 carrots, chopped   beet greens, chopped              1/2 lg. or 1 sm. red cabbage, chopped        1 qt. vegetable broth 1-3 cups water, per choice      sea salt and black pepper, to taste             sour cream to dollop

Sauté onions in 2 Tbsp. olive or other oil.  Add chopped beets (and stems) along with carrots and simmer while chopping remaining ingredients.  Add chopped beet greens and cabbage with a quart of broth (vegetable; beef for traditional; or chicken as experiment).  Add additional cups of water for consistency you desire.  Simmer until vegetables are just tender.  Add seasonings and serve.  Dollop with a tablespoon of sour cream and enjoy!