BEEF BORSCH

This recipe came from Valerie Phillips’ book “Soup’s On!” She credits the recipe to Masha Kirilenko, wife of former Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilinko.

I have tweaked the recipe a bit, cutting back on the beets and adding more meat. I also added lemon and garlic, and substituted butter for vegetable oil. I used stew meat, cooked in the oven, (instead of stir fry strips and browned in a sauce pan).

I used fresh beets, as the original recipe called for, and attempted to chop them. It was a huge pain and my kitchen (and clothes) are now splattered in red stains. Next time I am trying canned beets for convenience – it may not taste as good though.

Makes a huge pot of soup – four 1½ cup servings.

4 medium red potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

4 TBSP butter

1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed

4 medium beets, chopped

1 ½ cups chopped carrots

1 lb stew meat

2 14 oz cans beef broth

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 TBSP fresh or dry dill
juice of 1/2 lemon

Sour cream and more dill to garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

1.    Place potatoes in pot. Cover with water and bring to boil. Cook until tender. Drain and cover to keep warm.

2.    Saute onions and garlic in butter.

3.    Bake beef in oven.

4.    Combine broth and tomatoes. Add dill, salt, pepper. Add carrots and beets. Add onions and beef.

5.    Simmer until vegetables are tender (about 30 minutes).

6.    Serve topped with spoonful of sour cream sprinkled with dill.