Borscht! Yummmmmm!!

Borscht. It might be a foreign word to you, but basically it just a word for beet soup..... yummy beet soup! I make mine with lots of dill, potato, red cabbage, carrots, tomato, onion, potato, and beets of course! There are many different versions of borscht, some with meat, some without....some more "acidic" with more tomato, and borscht is served with a dollop of sour cream on top, or sometimes with cream mixed in, so you can add a little vegan "cream" (I use silk coffee creamer), or vegan sour cream, if you like it a little creamy. I like it both ways:).

You will need:

2 large beets, peeled and diced (about 1cm to 1.5 cm)
3 medium potato, diced (same as beets). Peeling is optional
3 large carrots, chopped (again, peeling is optional)
1/2 a small to medium head of red cabbage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large tomatoes seeded and chopped, or about 1/2 a can of diced tomato, drained
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons vegan margarine
6 cups of water (you may need more, as vegetables vary in size)
2-3 cubes of veggie stock (depending on the salt content)
1/2 cup of fresh baby dill (more or less depending on your taste... I like more!)
salt and pepper to taste
Silk coffee creamer (original) or Tofutti Sour Supreme (optional)

In a large pot, melt vegan margarine on medium heat. Add oil. Once heated, add onion and beets. Let the onions "sweat" (soften without browning) for about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and cook until it has wilted a bit. Add the water, veggie stock, carrots and potato. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to low-medium heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add tomato and continue to simmer until all veggies have cooked. Add dill at the end and let it cook in for about 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can serve the soup chunky, but I personally think it tastes better if it is mashed up a bit. I take a potato masher and mash it in the pot until most of the veggies have been broken/mashed. You could also use a food processor or bender if you want a really smooth texture. Add the "cream" or "sour cream" as you serve it, as it can tend to separate in the soup if it is cooked to long. Enjoy!:)