Borsch (Russian beetroot soup)

Description:
A healthy & hearty soup, for cold winter nights or just as a change of palate in a hot country like Singapore...

I read a few different recipes online and sort of made my own version of it, recording it here so I won't forget how I did it...

Ingredients:
1 beetroot
a few chunks of beef (with some bone) for the broth - (or 1 liter beef stock)
half a cabbage (any type of cabbage, e.g. Chinese cabbage will do)
1 large carrot
2 tomatoes

Optional: add potatoes, or tomato puree (for a thicker soup).


Directions:
Wash the beef and rinse with hot water.
Boil the beef chunks in a pot with water and let it cook for about 1 hour to get the beef stock and make the beef soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables:
Clean the beetroot, half it and cut each of the halves into thin slices.
Clean the carrot and cut into thin slices.
Wash the cabbage and into strips.
Cut the tomatoes into 6 or 8 slices.

Once the broth is done, take out the chunks of beef and use a fork to peel of the strips of beef. Add back the beef in small strips into the stock.
Add the beetroot to the stock and the carrots.
Let it cook for 30 mins.
Now add the cabbage to the soup and let cook for another 15 mins.
Add the tomatoes as well in the last 5 mins.

Season with a bit of lemon juice, sugar and salt to taste, and freshly ground pepper.

Serve with a bit of sour cream if you like a more creamy version. Add the sour cream only when serving, don't mix it through the soup.

Serve with a soft bun or a slice of French loaf.