Borscht

When my weekly organic box contains beets, we all know what's for dinner... borscht! This is my mother's recipe, and a childhood favourite. Now my son loves it, and takes it to school in a thermos for lunch. Even the beet greens don't go to waste. I wash them and keep them in the fridge for our morning green smoothies.

Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large beetroot, peeled and grated
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 red cabbage, grated
2 tomatoes, skinned, cored and diced
4 cups vegetable bouillon (wheat-free to make this gluten free)
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh chopped parsley, to garnish

Method:
In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium heat. Cook beetroot for 5 minues, then transfer to a large pot. Add 1 tbsp oil to frying pan, cook remaining vegetables for 5 minutes. Add to pot, along with the vegetable bouillon, herbs and seasonings. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 2 hours. Remove bay leaves before serving and garnish with fresh parsley.