Ukrainian borscht – vegetarian

Ingredients for 10 servings:

• 1 bunch beetroot, young with leaves
• 1 bunch mixed soup vegetables (leeks, carrots, celery root, parsley root, parsley leaves)
• 1 m.-large kohlrabi
• 1 small head of white cabbage
• 100 g beans, white (giant beans) or 200 g potatoes
• n. B. water
• 50 ml lemon juice
• 100 ml beetroot juice
• some herbs (dill, parsley)
• some bay leaves
• some garlic
• salt and pepper
• possibly sour cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

Ukrainian beetroot soup

Soak the beans in water the night before. Boil in the same water the next day for about an hour, adding more water if necessary. Add the bay leaves and garlic. Cut all the vegetables into small cubes. Cook the beets, including the leaves, with all the vegetables. After about 20 minutes, add the previously cooked beans. If you prefer potatoes instead of beans, you can add them straight away. Finally, add a little beetroot juice and herbs and spices to taste. If you like, you can season the soup with sour cream just before eating. You can serve it with hard-boiled eggs; they taste very good. The soup should not be boiled again when reheating, otherwise it will lose its beautiful red color. If this happens, add a little lemon juice.