Classic borscht with beef

Ingredients

• 500–600 gbeef on the bone
• 2.5 lwater
• 3medium potatoes
• 300 gwhite cabbage
• 2medium beets
• 1carrots
• 1large onion
• 2 tbsptomato paste
• 1bell pepper
• 2garlic cloves
• 1 tbspsugar
• 1 tbsplemon juice or vinegar
• 2bay leaves
• 2–3 tbspvegetable oil
• Salt
• black pepper
• Fresh dill
• Sour cream for serving

Instructions

1. 1Place the meat in a pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Skim off the foam, lightly salt, and simmer over low heat for 1.5–2 hours.
2. 2Remove the cooked meat, separate it from the bone, and cut into pieces. Strain the broth if necessary.
3. 3Dice the potatoes, and thinly shred the cabbage. Add the potatoes to the boiling broth and cook for 10 minutes.
4. 4Add the cabbage and bell pepper. Cook for another 10 minutes.
5. 5Finely chop the onion, and grate the carrots. Sauté them in vegetable oil until soft.
6. 6Grate the beets on a coarse grater and add to the pan. Add tomato paste, sugar, and lemon juice. Add a few spoons of broth and simmer under a lid for 10–15 minutes.
7. 7Transfer the vegetable sauté to the pot. Add the meat, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.
8. 8Simmer the borscht over low heat for another 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and dill, then turn off the heat.
9. 9Cover the pot with a lid and let the borscht steep for at least 20–30 minutes.