Ukrainian borscht recipe (soup with beets)

From September 14 to September 21, we will have National Cuisine week in Russian team on Etsy. For the week, I'd like to share Ukrainian borscht recipe because I'm from Ukraine :) I wouldn't say this is really authentic borscht recipe; it's just like my mom cooks borscht soup, and how I've learned it from her :)

So... for a 5-6 quarters pot of borscht, I've used approximate quantities of the next ingredients:
2-3 medium to large beetroots
3-4 medium to large potatoes
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots
1 large tomato
1 clove of garlic
Cabbage
Italian parsley and dill
Lemon juice

The borscht recipe is very easy :)

Peel and chop the onion for small pieces. Shred or cut to julienne peeled carrots. Preheat medium frying pan on medium heat, add 3-4 table spoons of vegetable oil (or any other oil with no scent). Saute the onion and carrots on the pan until tender.

Meanwhile, shred or cut to julienne peeled beetroots. Beetroots are mandatory for borscht :) For the borscht soup recipe, I cut them to julienne because I like the shape. But shredding is also OK. Put the beatroots on another large pan. Add water just to cover them. Add 4 table spoons of sugar and 4 table spoons of lemon juice. You can substitute lemon juice with vinegar for the borscht recipe, but I personally prefer lemon juice.  Bring the beets to a boil, reduce heat to slow-medium, and cook approximately 15 minutes until they are tender.

Prepare tomato puree. Cut tomato in half and shred it starting with inside part. In this case, all soft will be pureed and the skin will stay in your hand. You also can use chopped canned tomatoes for the borscht recipe. 

Add a table spoon of ketchup (it's optional). It'll give a little bit more sharpness to the borscht soup taste.

Add the tomato puree to the onion and carrots when they are tender and the onion a little bit transparent. Saute more 5-7 minutes.

Fill a 5-6 quarters pot in half with water and add salt by taste. Place the pot on high heat and bring it to a boil. Add the onion and carrots, the beetroots, peeled and chopped to small pieces potatoes. Also, you can add previously boiled chicken or meat, but it's optional.

Shred and add cabbage to the borscht. Quantity of the cabbage depends on how you like soups in general. If you'd like to make the borscht thick, just add more cabbage to it.

Bring the borscht to a boil. Add salt if needed, add crashed black pepper and bay leaves by taste. Cover the pot with lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook it for 10-15 minutes. Then turn of the heat, and add crashed 1 clove of garlic and chopped parsley and dill. Stir together, and cover the borscht with lid.

Serve the hot borscht soup topped with sour cream or mayonnaise :)

Enjoy!