1 carrot
1 onion
1 beet
1 stick celery
1/2 cabbage
3 potatoes
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Parsley
Salt & pepper

Optional: Fresh chicken or beef broth with small meat chunks or 5 cubes of chicken or beef broth.

Fill a medium pot with 8 cups of water (or fresh broth) and boil. Add carrot, onion, beet and celery. If using cubes of broth, add them now. Cover the pot, lower the heat and cook for 35 minutes. Peel and cube the potatoes into bite-size pieces. Cut cabbage. Add a pinch of salt to the soup. Add potatoes, cook for another 20-25 minutes. Add cabbage, cook for 5 minutes.

Take out the carrot, cut it into bite-size pieces and put it back in the soup. Take out the beet, run it under cold water, cut it in halves. Put 1/2 back in the soup. Chop the other half finely, mix it in with tomato paste and put in back in the soup. Bring the soup to boil and turn off the stove. Add parsley and let it stand covered for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: If you didn't use meat broth, add sour cream to taste into each serving bowl.