Ukrainian Borsch

Ukrainian borsch—commonly spelled “borscht” outside of Ukraine—is the classic, bright-red, slightly sour beet soup, chock-full of vegetables (and sometimes meat) and topped with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of dill. There are as many recipes for borsch as there are babusias (grandmothers), and at our kitchen in Poland, right on the border with Ukraine, we made many different versions, depending on who was cooking and what recipe their grandmother taught them. This hearty vegetarian version quickly became a favorite, full of potatoes, cabbage, and pickles—all of which get beautifully stained by the beets. Some cooks use canned beets as a shortcut, but most babusias insist on starting with raw. It takes longer, but the result pays off in a beautifully crimson, earthy- sweet stock.