Borscht Stew

I once had a Russian roommate. When he learned that I had never tried Borscht stew, and that it was my dad's favorite thing when I was growing up, oh, and that I loved beets, he immediately called his mom and got their family recipe. He made the soup, which also included potatoes, but I leave those out. Either way, when I finally got to taste it, I was a big fan! I absolutely love this stew now, and make it at least once every winter. I prefer to leave out the beef and potatoes, but those are optional add-ins for a more authentic stew.

Serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients:

• 4 c beef broth (use gluten free broth if you prefer)

• 1 lb bone-in beef shank (optional)

• 1 lg onion, peeled and quarted

• 4 lg red beets, peeled and shredded

• 2 lg carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 c potatoes, chopped into bite size chunks (optional)

• 1/2 purple cabbage head, thinly sliced

• dash salt and pepper

• 1/4 c fresh parsley, chopped

• sour cream for garnish (leave out for dairy free)

Instructions:

Skip #1 and #2 if not including beef shank.

1. Bring 2 cups of the beef broth, the beef shank, and onion to boil in large pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

2. Transfer meat to work surface; trim fat and chop meat; transfer to bowl and set aside.

3. Add remaining 2 cups broth (4 cups if you skipped above steps), beets, potatoes and carrots; bring to boil.

4. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

5. Stir in meat and cabbage; cook until cabbage is tender, about 15 minutes.

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

7. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and chopped parsley.