Let this quick and easy vegetarian borscht warm the soul

There are a lot of things we don't agree on these days.

Yet, a steaming bowl of soup on a cold winter night is almost universally agreed upon to be good for the soul.

Cooks from every corner of the world have been chopping vegetables and adding bits of this and that to soup for thousands of years.

And while there are as many versions as there are nationalities, the Slavic people have borscht - "the center of everything," as a Ukrainian proverb proclaims.

And, yes, there are even political arguments about that: Who can lay claim to borscht as their national dish? (The Ukrainians have been trying in recent years to get UNESCO to recognize borscht as part of its "intangible cultural heritage.")

Whatever your views, real borscht could have as many as 30 ingredients or more. Beets are the centerpiece, of course. Meat is optional, though traditional. Some add apples and beans. The level of tartness or sweetness is a matter of taste. And a dollop of sour cream served in the bowl is practically mandatory.

The recipe I've included here is called "My Mother's Super-Quick Vegetarian Borscht" and is quicker to make than the list of ingredients might suggest.

The easy part is you don't have to boil or roast the beets. By grating them, you cut down on the cooking time. Still, they are a messy veggie, so I suggest a pair of gloves to grate them unless you don't mind pink hands for the remainder of the day.

The order of cooking is super important here as you don't want soggy potatoes or undercooked cabbage.

Let your guests add their own sprinkling of dill and dollop of sour cream at the end. Make sure to stir the cream into the soup for that tart finish and delightful pink color.

It's the perfect hearty and healthy winter meal - and that's something we can all agree on.

• M. Eileen Brown is the Daily Herald's vice president of sales and marketing and an incurable soup-a-holic. She specializes in vegetarian soups and blogs at soupalooza.com/.

Vegetarian Borscht

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice

3½ cups shredded green cabbage

1 medium beet, peeled and grated

1 small rib celery cut into ¼-inch dice

½ tart apple, cored and cut in 1-inch dice

2 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch cubes

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 quarts vegetable or chicken stock

1 bay leaf and 8 peppercorns (in cheesecloth bag as a bouquet garni)

1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Chopped fresh dill and sour cream, for garnish

Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and bell pepper and sauté until slightly softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in cabbage, beet and celery and sauté, stirring and tossing occasionally (10-15 minutes).

Next, add apple, potatoes, tomato paste and garlic. Add stock and the bouquet garni (bay leaf and peppercorns). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes.

Add the paprika, salt and pepper, sugar and lemon juice (to taste). Let stand at least 2-3 hours or overnight (in the fridge). Remove the cheesecloth bundle before serving.

Serve with chopped dill and sour cream.

Serves 8

From "Please to the Table, The Russian Cookbook" by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman