This brilliantly colored soup of Russian origin utilizes fresh beets, potatoes and chunks of stew beef. You may already have many of the ingredients on hand. If not, take a trip to a farm stand or farmer’s market for the freshest produce.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of fresh beets, peeled and diced

1 cup diced celery

1 medium onion, peeled and diced

1 pound red skin potatoes, diced

1 pound cabbage, diced

1 1/2 pounds stew beef

8 cups all natural chicken broth (or water)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 bay leaves

salt, pepper, and all natural chicken bouillon, to taste

After prepping all the vegetables, they should look like this:

You can roast the beef on a sheet pan with a little oil for about 20 minutes at 400* or pressure cook the beef with 1/4 cup water for 12 minutes. Once the beef is cooked, add all ingredients to a large pot or pressure cooker. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until beets are tender. If using pressure cooker, cook for 7 minutes. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning to suit your taste.

Servings: 8-12

Tips: This soup freezes well. Recipe can be halved or doubled!

If you don’t care for beets, substitute parsnips or turnips.

If using Russet potatoes, peel before dicing.

For a vegetarian delight, omit beef and use vegetable broth.