Simple borscht (Ukrainian beet soup) recipe (vegan)

It is hard to get my head around what is happening in Ukraine right now, I'm sure many of us are feeling similar. I have been in Kyiv this January, so recently, and it is surreal that now the country is being destroyed.

On another note, it shows how everyone is united to fight the aggressor and it gives a lot of hope.

I want to share a simple recipe that has been created by ethnic Ukrainians and is still popular to this day in certain countries. I live in Lithuania and we share quite a bit of cultural experiences with Ukraine, so borscht soup is definitely one of the meals that our families also make occasionally.

I also heard of an initiative recently - to make an Ukrainian (not necessarily) meal, invite friends for dinner and let them pay for the food as much as they wish and donate the money to organizations supporting Ukraine. We can all contribute at least something to help the Ukrainian people fight for their country 💙💛

For the borscht you will need:

• 1 large carrot
• 1 potato
• 1 onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• About 700-800ml of water
• 1 cube of vegetable broth
• Several bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of sugar
• 0.5 l. boiled / canned grated beets
• A sprinkle of pepper
• Salt, if needed

Preparation:

1. Pour the oil, chopped onion and garlic into the cooking pot and cook until soft. If needed, add some water.
2. Pour water into the same pot, add a cube of broth, carrots and potatoes (cut into cubes), bay leaves, tomato paste and sugar. Cook everything for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
3. Pour the beets into the pot and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Add pepper and, if needed, more salt.

This is not the original Ukrainian recipe as some people also add kidney beans and cabbage - so feel free to add those for a more traditional taste 🌻

You may also add fresh dill and it is common to eat the soup with sour cream. 🍽️

Have you tried the borscht soup before?