Ingrid’s homemade borscht

I love vegetables. So this recipe calls for more vegetables than the typical borscht recipe, and I skip the potatoes. You will need a handb-lender and a heavy hand for the salting!

Ingredients:

• 5-6 medium beets, cooked to tender, and chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
• 6-8 celery ribs, cghopped
• 4-8 carrots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6-8 cups water
• Dill for garnish
• Sour cream or homemade yogurt to dollop on top
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the beets until well done (whatever technique you use, I use my instant pot)
2. In a large 6 quart pot (or larger), cook diced onion with olive oil, thyme and a sprinkle of salt, until translucent
3. Discard thyme stems, and add chopped carrots, sauté about 3-4 minutes
4. Add chopped celery, sauté until carrots and celery are tender. Add a bit more salt and pepper here.
5. Chop beets and add to pot with 6-8 cups of water.
6. Cook down for approximately 20 minutes.
7. When done, take a handblender and create up the veggies to make a thick, chunky blend – so you can still decipher to separate vegetable, but the different flavors meld together.
8. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a dollop of cream or yogurt and dill.