Polish Beet Barszcz 

Barszcz (borscht)  is a Polish, hearty beet based soup that's delicious as a pre-meal appetizer with rye bread.

Ingredients for Polish Beet Barszcz

For Polish beet barszcz you will need:

• 4 fresh beets or 2 cups canned sliced beets
• 4 cups meat or vegetable stock
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh or dried dill for garnish 

Recipe for Making Polish Beet Barszcz

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the beets in cold water, scrubbing them if needed. Wrap the beets individually in aluminum foil, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. The beets are done when they become tender. Allow the beets to cool enough that you can work with them.
Peel the beets and cut them into strips, or use the julienne style of cutting. To julienne the beets, Cut the round edges off of the first beet, so you are left with a rectangular cube. Cut the beet lengthwise into slices 1/16 of an inch thick. Stack the slices back together into the cube shape, then cut the slices lengthwise into strips 1/16 of an inch thick.
Bring the stock to a boil in a large pot, then add the beets, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil the barszcz for 10 minutes. You can serve the barszcz cold with a dollop of sour cream and dill for garnish, or you can serve it hot with boiled potato cubes placed in the soup.