Borscht is another one of our favorites. It is a wonderful low-fat, low calorie, gluten-free meal that tastes great cold in the summer or warm in the winter! The best part is that you can use just about any vegetable you want. If you don't have one, just add more of another! I've made it without cabbage, or without potatoes, and hardly noticed a difference! One vegetable you don't want to omit, however, is the beets. It's just not the same without the dark red color! Beets keep their color best if they aren't cooked long, so I've found it best to precook the beets (OR use canned beets) and add them at the end, after the soup is done cooking. That gives you the best possible red color and the beets taste better, too! Be sure to make this soup ahead of time. You can eat it fresh, but it really tastes best after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, giving the vegetables a chance to marinate. Enjoy!
CHOP onions, celery, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and cabbage into a 6 quart kettle.
POUR boiling water over all the vegetables, except beets, and SIMMER until tender.
STIR in the remaining ingredients (tomatoes, Country Style Seasoning, beets, lemon juice, dill weed) and season to taste.
ADD more water, if needed (water should cover vegetables well).
REFRIGERATE for maximum flavor.
SERVE warm with unsweetened yogurt OR Sour Cream OR Creamy Herb Dressing.
If using raw beets, you can cook them with the potatoes and carrots, but if using pre-cooked beets or canned beets, then you will add them after the veggies are soft.
If you aren't using cabbage, you can increase your potatoes and carrots as needed.