Ingredients

• 1 ounce dried mushrooms (porcini, reishi, shiitake, or other)
• 4-5 medium or 3 large beet – peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 med onion, chopped
• ½ lb turnips, peeled and diced
• ½ lb carrots or parsnips, peeled and diced
• 2 cup shredded cabbage
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• Water – 4 cups (possibly more)
• ½ tbsp sherry vinegar
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 10 stems parsley

Directions:

• Boil 4 cups of water.
• Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. Pour boiled water over dried mushrooms. Let sit for 30 minutes. Strain. Squeeze mushrooms over strainer to extract remaining liquid. Rinse mushrooms, and then chop.
• In a large pot, combine oil, onion and garlic. Cook stirring occasionally until tender. Add turnips, carrots/parnips, cabbage, beets and dried mushrooms along with the mushroom stock and vegetable stock. If vegetables are not covered in liquid, add water. Add bay leaves, parsley and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and let simmer for 40 minutes. Add lemon juice.
• Remove bay leave and parsley.
• Chop fresh dill.
• Garnish bowls of borscht with dill.

If you have any questions about your diet, foods, meal options or how Naturopathic Medicine can help you, please call 613-290-6115.

Graham Beaton is a Naturopath practicing in downtown Ottawa.

Tags: Beets, Borscht, cabbage, recipes, Soup