Beef and Beet Borscht

Rinse the meat, trim off excess fat and film. Place in a pot, pour in cold water (3–3.5 liters). Bring to a boil and remove all foam from the surface.

Reduce the heat and simmer the beef for 2.5 hours. After 1.5 hours, add a whole onion. When the time is up, check the meat — it should fall apart easily.

Extract the meat from the broth and set aside. Strain the broth, discard the onion.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Add to the strained broth and cook until tender.

Crush the garlic and fry it in olive oil. Peel the onion, cut it into cubes and add it to the garlic. Fry until golden brown.

Peel and grate the carrots on a coarse grater, add to the onion and garlic. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper and cut it into cubes.

Peel the beets and grate them on the same grater. Add to the pan along with the other vegetables. Immediately pour in the vinegar — it will preserve the color of the beets and give the borscht a rich red hue.

Dilute the tomato paste with water and pour it over the vegetables. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes.

Check the potatoes for doneness. When ready, add the sautéed vegetable mixture to the broth.

Cut the cabbage into thin strips and add to the broth. Bring to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 4 minutes.

Add a bay leaf. Remove the pan from heat, cover with a lid and let it steep for 15 minutes.

If borscht seems too sour, adjust the acidity with sugar. Add it gradually, starting with half a teaspoon.

Serve borscht with sour cream, fresh dill and crushed garlic if desired.