Russian Borscht (meatless)

Ingredients

1 beetroot
1 onion
1 carrot
1/4 of a cabbage 
4-5 potatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic
30ml of vegetable oil
2 Tbsp of tomato paste
1 Tbsp of sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1-2 bay leaves
3-5 peppercorns
herbs  (parsley, dill)

Method

Take 1.6-1.7L of water. Add peppercorns, fine/medium cut cubes of potato, bay leaf. After it's come to boiling, lower the temperature and boil for 15-20 min with the lid half-closed.

Meanwhile prepare the filling (zapravka or zazharka): put finely chopped onion onto a well-heated frying-pan with oil for 1 min, then add carrots - cut in fine straws - for another minute.

Then add the beetroot - either grated of finely chopped (in straws) - with sugar, to caramelise it for 30 seconds. Add tomato paste. Then add a ladle or two of the liquor from the pot, salt it, add pepper and stew under the lid for about 15 minutes.

Then - check if the veggies are soft, then transfer the thick fill-up to the pot and bring to active boiling, add cabbage chopped as finely as possible. 

Then taste it and add more spices if needed (the cabbage doesn't need to boil longer than 5 min).

Take off the heat and add a portion of finely chopped garlic. Let it brew under the lid for 5 min. 

Serve home-made meatless borscht hot, having added fresh herbs and/or sour cream. Enjoy!