Beat the Mid-winter Blahs with a Bowl of Steaming Borscht

I LOVE soup. Hot or cold (but usually hot), creamy or broth-y, as a starter or an entree - I love soup of all types.

Last weekend I exercised my soup-making talents by cooking up a large pot of borscht. This Russian staple isn't quite as popular here as it is back in the old country, probably because beets have unfairly taken a hard rap. How can that be? Beets are the about the sweetest vegetable there is and as a base for borscht, it is accompanied by cubed beef (and marrow bones), carrots, shredded cabbage, onions and more. When completed, borscht is thick and dense like a stew, and topped off with a generous dollop of sour cream and sprinkling of fresh dill. Add a thick slab of pumpernickel bread with butter you have a hearty meal that will stand up to any manly (or womanly) appetite.

I had made borscht only one time before in my life and liked it a lot, but beets aren't universally loved. I've discovered several "beet buddies" among my friends and if I crave them, I know a few people who might be willing to join me. As for cooking them at home - well, no one else likes them and having to listen to "ooh, yuck" can ruin a meal before you eat it. This weekend, though, the borscht was part of a birthday dinner promised to a friend who also happens to be among my beet buddies. When we discussed borscht, his eyes lit up and so (insert wicked laugh) it was beets for everybody.

And guess what? We really liked it. Even my husband liked it! The self-proclaimed beet hater likes borscht. Ha! Actually, the soup was really good and our local Whole Foods store baked me a fresh loaf of delicious pumpernickel bread to accompany it (thanks, guys!). I'll have to give this birthday dinner gift more often.