Russian Borscht

Russian national soup, the 'soup of life' for the East Slavic peoples.

Ingredients

• 10 g BBQ tea seasoning (black-tea base, adds subtle smokiness and depth
• Two beetroots (sliced)
• Beef broth 1.5 liters
• 300 grams of beef
• Three tablespoons of ketchup
• Two potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• Quarter of a cabbage, shredded
• sour cream
• chopped dill
• One carrot, julienned
• black pepper, salt

Instruction

1. Stew meat base

   Put beef in cold water, bring to a boil to remove impurities, add broth and simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

2. Sauté vegetables

   Sauté onions, carrots, and beets in butter until soft, then add tomato sauce and cook until it turns red.

3. Combine

   Add sautéed vegetables to the beef broth, add potatoes and cabbage, and cook for 20 minutes.

4. Seasoning

   Mix white vinegar, sugar, salt, black pepper, and BBQ tea seasoning, turn off the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.

5. Plating

   Drizzle with sour cream and sprinkle with fresh dill.

Fun fact: The traditional way to enjoy it is with black bread dipped in garlic sauce, and beetroot should be hand-cut (not grated) to preserve its fibrous texture!