While working on a photoshoot for our beautiful Bread Project Worldwide, we were served a tasty borscht, a popular soup from Eastern and Central Europe (mainly Russia and Ukraine). The soup has a beautiful red color from beets, the main ingredient. 

Often, besides beetroot, vegetables like cabbage, potato, tomato and onion are added and the soup is topped with a dollop of sour cream. For a vegan version, just leave out the cream or use a plant based variety. This is how the love women from a Moldovan village cooked the soup:

WHAT YOU NEED

• 2.5 cups grated beetroot

• 1 cup grated carrot

• 1 cup shredded cabbage

• 1 cup potato cubes

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion

• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup finely chopped dill

• Juice of half a lemon

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• 5 cups vegetable stock

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• Salt & pepper as per taste

• (vegan) sour cream optional and/or hard boiled egg

WHAT YOU DO

• Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion starts softening.

• Add beets, carrot, cabbage, and potatoes. Mix and cook for around 8 minutes and keep stirring.

• Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Sauté for another minute and add vegetable stock.

• Cook covered for around 20 minutes on medium flame.

• Switch off the gas. Add lemon juice and dill. Mix.

• Optional: serve borscht with a dollop of sour cream and hard boiled egg on top.