Borscht - Red Beet Soup with homemade vegetable stock – Pareve version

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Soup

1. 1
   Put the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot with the cold water.

   Large pot

   💡Start with cold water: the vegetables release their flavor slowly as the water heats up.
2. 2
   Bring to a boil over high heat and skim off the foam.

   Stove
3. 3
   Turn down to medium-low heat and simmer uncovered 30–45 minutes.

   Stove

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
4. 4
   Strain the stock through a fine sieve.

   Fine sieve
5. 5
   Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion in it for 5 minutes.

   StoveLarge pot
6. 6
   Add the garlic and fry 1 minute, until fragrant.

   Stove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
7. 7
   Add the carrot and beets and cook 5 minutes, stirring.

   Stove
8. 8
   Add the stock, potatoes and cabbage and bring to a boil.

   Stove
9. 9
   Turn down the heat and simmer 30 minutes.

   Stove
10. 10
    Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt and black pepper. Taste: the soup should be sweet-and-sour. Adjust to taste.

    💡Balance at the end, once the flavors have come together: add sour, sweet and salty a little at a time, tasting between additions.
11. 11
    Serve hot in bowls, with a spoonful of the unsweetened soy yogurt on each bowl.