"BORSCH" (CABBAGE SOUP) ingredients: 2-3 big portobello mushrooms ½ tbsp vegetarian spice blend #1 5 oz white cabbage 7 ripe tomatoes 3-4 potatoes 1 beet (big) 1 bell pepper 1 bulb onion 1 carrot 1 bunch curly leaf parsley ½ celery root (optional) 1 bunch dill (optional) 2 clove garlic ½ stick butter 2 qt water Sour cream to garnish Salt to taste directions: Slice mushrooms about ¼ in thick. Bring water to a boil. Keep in mind that the amount of water is approximate. Depending on how dense you want your borsch to be, adjust the water at the end. Add mushrooms and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Coarsely shred beet, carrot and parsley root and chop onion. Over medium heat first sauté the onion till translucent, add the carrot and parsley root, then the beet. Sauté all together for 5 minutes. Add 3 tbsp of mushroom bouillon. Cover and stew over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Cube potatoes, thinly slice cabbage, cut tomatoes in half and chop bell pepper. Once mushrooms have been cooking for 10 minutes, add potatoes. Bring to a boil and salt. Add cabbage. Cook for 7 minutes and add halves of tomatoes. Once the tomatoes rise to the surface, collect them with the skimmer and mash the tomatoes in the bowl. Now combine all main ingredients together - add to the bouillon stewed vegetables, mashed tomatoes with the juice, chopped bell pepper and spice blend. Cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat till done. 5 minutes before done add chopped greens with a small amount salted mashed garlic. Let the borsch sit for 20-30 minutes before serving. Serve with 1 tsp of sour cream. Ideas: We really recommend using fresh tomatoes for the borsch (it is a healthier choice and the dish becomes more flavorful), but certainly tomatoes might be substituted by 2 ½ tbsp tomato paste. Just add the paste while stewing the vegetables with the bouillon. It is important to understand that tomatoes contain acid and this is a key for making a good borsch. That is why in our recipe we suggest you use a lot of tomatoes. If using tomato paste adjust the taste with lemon juice if needed. You can prepare borsch without previously sautéing the vegetables. Just shred the beet, carrot, parsley root, chop the onion and add them to the bouillon together with mashed tomatoes. You will get the healthiest soup ever! Even though you might think borsch is borsch, there are number of ways for experimenting. For example, you can make borsch using any kind of broth: purely vegetable (just bring water to a boil and add the vegetables in the order described above), mushroom (as in this recipe), beef, and even chicken. Still use vegetarian spice blend in the last two cases. To make beef stock, cube the beef, place it into the pot and cover with cold water. Over high heat bring to a fast boil, then immediately reduce heat to low and cook till the meat is done. Take out beef pieces and save the bouillon. Return meat to the stock, bring back to a boil, add potatoes and cook as above. To make chicken stock, wash thoroughly the whole chicken, cut into serving pieces, discard excess skin, but do not get rid of the spine bone at this point in time. Bring water to a boil, add the chicken and cook over low heat till the meat is done. Do not overcook the chicken so the meat does not fall off the bone. Take out chicken pieces, discard the spine bone, save the stock, return the chicken to it and cook as above. ideas: Here are the options of what people like to add to borsch in Russia: 1). ½ cup tinned Kidney beans (add to the bouillon with the sautéed vegetables and mashed tomatoes) 2). 1 small eggplant (slice in semicircles and add with the potatoes) 3). 1 zucchini (slice, sauté and add with mashed tomatoes) 4). 12 black olives (cut in halves and add with mashed tomatoes, you can add the marinade as well) 5). 1 apple (cut in strips, add at the same time as mashed tomatoes) 6). 3-4 oz prunes (add with tomatoes) 7). ? lb squid as substitute for mushrooms (clean it thoroughly, cook in boiling water for 3 minutes, slice and add with tomatoes)