Many traditional Russian recipes are naturally healthy: Russians, without knowing it, were health conscious long before it became fashionable because their diet was primarily based on wholesome, natural ingredients.

By definition, “natural” in this day and age can unfortunately represent something “unnatural”: even though the terminology appears on the label, the ingredients therein can be frightening and nebulous. It’s best to stick to foods as nature intended them, that is, in their unadulterated, unprocessed forms.

With certainty, some of us have tried the cabbage soup diet in an effort to slim down or perhaps fast after overeating. Well, Russians and Ukrainians have been practicing this form of dieting without knowing it for hundreds of years in simple, yet delicious versions of cabbage soup called borscht and shchi. Cabbage is relatively inexpensive and chock full of vitamin C, fiber, and folate.

Children are introduced to these soups at a young age when their Mamas, Grandmothers -- Babushki -- and aunties make huge pots of it on the stove. Speaking from experience, kids don’t necessarily appreciate the soup, but acquire a taste for it as they get older.

The preparation of borscht is a labor of love and involves some chopping, peeling and slicing, but the effort is well worth it. Typically, the soup is made in a larger batch and eaten for a few days. Like a wine fine, the flavor improves with age.

Of course, many variations on borscht exist, but an easy vegetarian recipe follows. Borscht is primarily served warm, with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt, or chilled.

2 tbsp butter
1 onion
1 ½ lbs beets (organic is better)
½ lb potato
1 celery stalk
½ lb white cabbage, coarsely shredded
1½ lb tomatoes (4 medium tomatoes)
3 tbsp tomato paste
8 cups boiling water
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt per soup serving

Wash and peel the vegetables. Finely chop the onion and cut the beets, potato, cabbage and celery into thin strips. Quarter the tomatoes. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the onion and beets, cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Stir frequently.

Pour in the boiling water and add the potatoes, celery, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste and bay leaf. Salt and pepper to taste and add the lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

To serve the borscht, add 1 tbsp sour cream or yogurt per bowl and garnish with chopped parsley. Be sure to remove the bay leaf.

Kasha is often served with borscht and can be added by the tablespoon to thicken the soup. A hearty slice of dark bread is also a good accompaniment.

Alternatively, borscht can be made using beef stock instead of water and it can also be pureed until smooth and served chilled. Be creative and experiment to your heart’s delight.

“Preyatnovo apetita” .... Bon Apetit.