Vegetarian Borsh (East European beet soup)

борщ вегетарианский (barsht, borsht, barszcz)

Main ingredients:

vegetarian stock
1 medium-sized beet
mushrooms
lime
soy sauce
grains (quinoa works great; rice or barley should be precooked)
OR
beans and chickpeas (soak overnight if using)
OR
potatoes

On vegetarian stock:

At some point, I will post a good vegetarian stock recipe and update this section. For now, please refer to the many recipes online. You can always use water instead of stock, provided you have enough ingredients that will cook together long enough to flavor the water.

Stock is the flavored liquid made by boiling a lot of vegetables for 40min to 1hr. The main ingredients typically include a whole onion (skin removed), carrot, celery, anise if you like it. I like to add fresh or roasted garlic. Experiment with spices, laurel leaf, kaffir lime leaf or lemongrass stalk if you have it.

I don't have a set method, so sometimes the stock doesn't quite work. I have my preferred ways of "fixing" watery soup. I usually add lime juice (you can also try a dash of wine). Chilli paste and ketchup work well. Soy sauce and miso paste are my standard fall-back flavorings.

Recommended flavoring:

cloves (if you like them, but use sparingly)
kaffir lime leaf, unless there's some in the stock
pepper

About the ingredients:

Vegetarian borsh is more beety than the non-vegetarian version, but it depends on the depth of the stock and how long you boil the soup. I like borsht that tastes clean and beets that are still crispy. If you don't like that, I've found that boiling more makes it less beety. If the beets drain of colour, you've overboiled.

Beets are good sources of folic acid and potassium. They act as a tonic for the digestive system and the heart. Beet juice apparently helps control cancer (Source: Biggs, et al. Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit). Cloves have antibacterial properties and soothe the intestinal tract (Meletis, Chris. Complete Guide to Safe Herbs).

Optional preparation:

1. Roast the beets in foil with mushrooms, cloves, garlic, and salt
2. Pre-soak beans or chickpeas if using them
3. Pre-cook rice or barley slightly if using them

Quick directions:

1. Fry all the vegetables a bit, then add all other ingredients and fry some more
2. Add water and boil for a few minutes
3. Add soy sauce and seasoning to taste

Detailed directions:

1. Put 3 tbs of olive oil in a deep pan
2. Cut beets finely and fry on medium heat until they start to soften
3. Add potatoes and mushrooms if using them
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, chilli paste if using it
5. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add 2-3 cups of water (best to use already boiling water from the kettle)
6. Add rice or barley if using it
7. Bring to a gentle boil
8. Add lime juice to taste
9. Add a few tbs of soy sauce (Note! Do not add salt yet, as soy sauce is salty)
10. Add more spices, flavoring, etc. to taste
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