"Oops I Forgot To Buy Chicken" Veggie Borsch

The weather here is beyond freezing right now, which makes me crave something hot and hearty and easy to make. This borsch recipe comes from my mother, a petite russian woman who knows her soups. She's known for her homemade chicken soups, but if my memory serves me right, she made a delicious hot borsch with beef one cold winter night when I was maybe six or seven years old.

I've been limiting my meat consumption in the past few months, so I decided to try to make the borsch with chicken thighs. Unfortunately, I forgot to buy the chicken. So this recipe is now vegetarian. You can always add chicken if you wish (In the very beginning).

2 large packages of chicken broth (beef or veggie are fine)
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1/3 head of green cabbage, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 small bag of baby carrots (or 1.5-2 cups carrots)
3 large potatoes, diced (russets are good for boiling)
1 large can diced tomatoes (drained!)
1 large can cooked beets (they can be marinated. mine were)
2 tbsp Vegeta
lots of fresh dill
a dollop of sour cream

Add the chopped onion to a medium hot pan with a bit of olive oil. Please don't let these burn! Let them become translucent. Add the garlic, and let it cook for a minute. Then add the broth. Immediately add the cabbage and carrots. Let them cook for 5 minutes and then add the diced potatoes. At this point I added the vegeta.

For those of you who don't know what vegeta is, it's a packet of seasoning that comes from Croatia. I grew up on this stuff, so I'm addicted to it. My mother used to add it to fried potatoes and chicken soup, and those are pretty much the only things I ate as a child. It just adds so much flavor! But you can substitute with some salt, or any other seasoning mix you have. Just taste it before you add a bunch to the pot of soup.

Ok, so let this soup simmer away for about 10 or 15 minutes, and when the potatoes and carrots feel soft, not mushy, add the drained tomatoes and beets. Let it simmer for another 5 to 10, and then taste it. If you feel it needs an extra kick, add whatever you wish. My father likes his borsch with olives. I'm not so much a fan of this. But it's your soup, so do what makes you happy.
When it's ready to be served, add a dollop of cold sour cream and some chopped fresh dill.
And you can call yourself a russian!
-ILR