Cabbage and Carrot Borscht

I got this recipe from a friend after trying it at a party. It is perfectly filling and a great way to get in a lot of veggies! Because there is quite a lot of work involved, I used my food processor to do all the chopping for me, but you can also do it by hand. Don't skip out on the fresh dill or sour cream, it is the perfect finishing touch to this delicious soup! Also, this makes a lot (enough to feed 15+ people), so try cutting it in half if you don't plan on eating it for a couple of days. 

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter

6 garlic cloves, minced

4 large beets, shredded

1 medium cabbage, shredded

1 large onion, diced

4 medium carrots, diced

3 stalks celery, sliced

4 potatoes, diced

1 small leek (optional), chopped

4 small green onions, chopped

8-12 cups of water (depending on how thick you like it)

4 tablespoons chicken soup base (oxo cubes are ok)

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon pepper

1/2 tsp thyme

1 1/2 tablespoons dill weed spice 

1 large can diced tomatoes

fresh dill and sour cream for topping

Directions

Melt butter in a large pot. Add garlic and cook until nicely browned. Add beets, cabbage, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, leek, green onions and fry until slightly browned. Add water and chicken soup base, bay leaves, salt and pepper, thyme and dill weed spice. Cook until tender (about 20-30 mins) then add diced tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more. 

Top with fresh dill and a dollop of sour cream

Enjoy!