Borscht

Instructions

• 1
  Cut the potatoes into 1.5 cm cubes and place them in a bowl with cold water.
• 2
  Cut the carrots lengthwise and slice them into 0.5 cm thick pieces. Roughly chop the onion, cut the celery stalk in half.
• 3
  Remove the tough core from the fennel and cut the fennel into strips.
• 4
  Remove the tough core from the cabbage and cut the cabbage into thin strips and place in a bowl. Pour in the wine vinegar, add 1 teaspoon of salt and mix.
• 5
  Cut 130 g of beetroot into 0.5 cm thick slices, then cut them into thirds. Cut the rest of the beetroot into 1 cm cubes.
• 6
  Heat the lard in a saucepan and sauté the onion until translucent.
• 7
  Season the meat with salt and pepper on all sides, add to the saucepan and brown on all sides.
• 8
  Add the sliced beetroot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• 9
  Pour 1.5 l of cold water into the saucepan, or enough to cover the meat. Add the celery stalk, flat-leaf parsley, fennel, crushed tomatoes, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to one-third and cook uncovered for 1.5 hours.
• 10
  Then add the squeezed cabbage, diced beetroot, and sliced carrots and cook for 20 minutes.
• 11
  Drain the chopped potatoes and add them to the saucepan. Add the roux, stir, and cook on the lowest possible heat for 30 minutes.
• 12
  Remove the celery stalk, flat-leaf parsley, and meat, which you then cut into 2 cm cubes. Then return it to the saucepan and salt the soup as needed.
• 13
  Serve on a plate with a spoonful of sour cream, optionally garnished with a sprig of fresh dill.