Borscht: the Russian Lent soup (борщ)

never cook borscht myself. I love it, I miss it but somehow I never get around to actually lining up the ingredients and shoving them in the pot. So much the more I appreciate when somebody else makes it for me. It is not the kind of dish you can enjoy in a restaurant. It must be home made. The other day I paid a visit to Olga and that is exactly what she had for lunch for me. Hearty, earthy-flavoured borscht with fresh dill and a dollop of crème-fraîche, served in fancy China with real silverware. She made it the Russian Lent style, that is vegan.

According to Olga it takes just 10 minutes to cook. Here is the recipe:

1. Peel and chop 3 big onions. Fry until golden brown in a generous amount of olive oil.
2. Add 1 big grated carrots and 3 big grated pre-cooked beets. Add more olive oil. Sautée lightly.
   
3. Add black peppercorns and a couple of bay leaves.
4. Add 2 litres boiling water.
   
5. Bring to boil. Turn off heat. Serve with crème-fraîche, fresh dill and/or spring onions.

It tastes great with Russian rye bread. If you can't find it, use German pumpernickel.