As published in Detroit Lawyer

By Andrew Malec, Ph.D.

I love soup. And the thought of having a nice bowl of hot soup, especially at this time of year, is comforting. I also take great satisfaction in preparing dishes with the food and ingredients that I have in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer (kind of my own food challenge). Once I looked at my food inventory and saw that I had pickled beets, onions, sauerkraut and beef stock, I decided to make borscht.

When I was young, I remember helping my grandmother make soup. She would prepare and cook the soup all morning. As I grew older, I streamlined the process and can make a great satisfying soup in a fraction of the time – sorry Grandma!

I love the sweet and sour flavor profile of this soup and the texture of the beets. . I added pomegranate syrup to lend a note of fruit flavor and to deepen the soup’s beautiful red color. Bay leaves and dill weed were also added to provide a savory note and freshness to the soup. Garnish the soup with some fresh cracked pepper, a dollop of sour cream, and a few sprinkles of dill weed and you are ready to enjoy.

This is a very quick, tasty, and comforting soup to prepare. If you are so inclined, please give this dish a try. Enjoy!