Borscht

We watched the closing ceremonies while eating borscht - a traditional Russian soup that I modified in ways that would probably horrify Russians.

But I thought it tasted really good. And it was a very pretty color. There was also enough to feed a hockey team - I went a little overboard while cutting the root vegetables.

The rosy hue comes from beets. There actually aren't a lot of beets in the soup, but it looks like there are because they stain everything pink. Larry found this a little hard to handle, and found that one bowl was enough. I plan to eat the leftovers all week - I'm sure the soup will get even better as it rests.

Borscht
1 tbsp oil
3 cups diced onion
2 cups diced beets
2 cups diced carrots
1 1/2 cups diced parsnips
1/2 cup diced celery
28oz can tomatoes
2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups cabbage

Fry the onion in the oil until tender. Add in the remaining roots as they are prepped. Add the celery, canned tomatoes with liquid (mash the tomatoes against the side of the pot as they cook), and about 5 cups of water. Bring to a simmer and add the salt and cabbage. Let simmer, covered, about 20 minutes until tender. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

Serves 8-10