Borscht Soup

BorschtBorscht soup is a soup of Ukrainian origin (I thought it was Russian soup so far >.<), popular in East European countries. The name comes from the old Slavic word borshchevik which is hogweed, a plant from the same family as fennel. Hogweed was an important food in the Ukraine and Poland until at least the 16th Century and borscht was originally made from the young shoots of this plant. Somewhere along the way the original ingredient was dropped and the name shortened and it became the dish we know it to be today. It is made of beetroot as the main ingredients. I adore borscht – earthy, sweet, pleasantly tangy, fragrant and full of autumnal goodness

Ingredients

1/2 cup of cooked lentils
1/2 leek
1 onioin
1 beetroot
2 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 carrot
1 cup of cabbage
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3 cups of vegetable stock
1 tsp of olive oil for garnish

Wash and cut all your vegetables into little bite sizes. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Cook leek and garlic with coconut oil until tender. Add bay leaves, tomato paste, Dijon mustard and caraway seeds and stir for a couple of minutes. Add other ingredients, except apple cider vinegar, in and simmer for 15-20 minutes until cooked. Add apple cider vinegar in the last minute. Serve the soup with a drizzle of olive oil.