Recipe: Russian Palace Restaurant Vegetable Borscht (Chicago)

RUSSIAN PALACE'S VEGETABLE BORSCHT

"Roza Gorenuk, chef at Chicago's Russian Palace restaurant. Recipe was originally from Roza's grandfather, who cooked for Czar Nicholas II."

5 medium-size beets
2 large potatoes
1 medium-size cabbage head
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped (1 large)
1/2 cup chopped carrot (1 small)
5 tsp tomato paste
16 cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp chopped dillweed

Peel and julienne raw beets to yield 4 cups. Peel and cube potatoes to yield 2 1/2 cups. Finely chop cabbage to yield 6 cups. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Add beets and carrot. Saute, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large stock pot, bring chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Add potato and cook for 3 minutes.

Add cabbage to potatoes in the stock pot and continue boiling for 5 minutes.

Add reserved beet-tomato paste mixture, green pepper, lemon juice, sugar, salt and black pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in garlic and dill. Serve hot.

Makes 12 Servings
Source: Chicago Sun Times, November 6, 1996