Classic Russian Borscht

Ingredients

Stock

• 1 lb (450 g) beef stew meat + soup bones
• 8 cups water
• 2 tsp fish sauce (nam plam/Oyster brand)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion or 1/4 stalk of leek
• 1 med carrot

Soup

• 8 tbls butter
• 1¾ lbs (795 g) beets, roasted and peeled
• 4 medium carrots/parsnips, finely chopped
• 3 large stalks celery, diced or 1 medium celery root, shredded
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large starchy potato (such as Russet), scrubbed and cubed
• 4-5 cups cabbage, thinly sliced into shreds
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (use a bit less if using fine salt)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2-4 tbls lemon juice (to taste)
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• Sour cream, for garnish

Instructions

1. Brown meat/roast bones and make 8 cups of beef bone stock (30 min to 2 hours in the pressure cooker, or overnight slow cooker).
2. Strain and reserve stock, chop meat into bites, and freeze bones (waste not).
3. In large pot, melt butter (yes, all of it) and saute carrots/parsnips/celery/celery root/onion until soft. Stir in tomato paste.
4. Add beef stock, beef, potatoes and cabbage. Simmer until soft.
5. Stir in shredded beets, garlic, lemon juice and other seasonings. Warm, taste, adjust and consume with healthy dollops of sour cream.

This is an approximate reconstruction of the Classic Russian Borscht from The Girl's Guide to Guns and Butter, which sadly appears to have disappeared from the internet.