Russian Borscht (Beet Soup)

After chopping the potatoes and beets, boil them in the quart of water for 45-60 minutes, until they are tender. You can then move on to prep your other ingredients. Go ahead and dice your onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and shred your cabbage. Be sure to keep them all separate because you will be adding them at different times. Once the vegetables have all been cut and the beets are halfway cooked, you can start your soup. 1. Sweat the onions in butter and a touch of salt until they are translucent. 2. Add the celery. 3. Add the carrot. 4. Mix and cook until the celery and carrot are tender. 5. Add tomato paste and caramelize until everything is well blended and the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pot. 6. Deglaze with half of the beet water and stir until the bottom of the pot is clean. Cook about 10 more minutes. 7. Add the cabbage. 8. Add the tomatoes. 9. Add the cider vinegar and brown sugar. Cook for 3 minutes. 10. Add the beets, potatoes, and the rest of the beet water. 11. Stir and cook until beets and potatoes are fully cooked and tender. 12. Change consistency to your liking. I used an immersion blender to coarsely puree the soup. Some people like it chunky so this part is completely up to you. Be sure to adjust your seasonings at this point. Plate your soup and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and sprigs of fresh dill weed.