Borscht

Borscht is a traditional Russian soup, which means it's cheap! It also means it's made with three things: potatoes, sour cream, and beets.

You may be thinking "Beets?! EW!" But I promise, even if you don't like beets, you'll probably like borscht. And the warranty? It costs almost nothing to make, so you don't feel rotten if you really don't like it. (But you will.)

I just made this up as I went along, but THIS TIME I WROTE DOWN THE STEPS! I know, it's a miracle.

3 medium potatoes (I prefer red), chopped

1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, sliced

1 or 2 celery ribs, sliced

about 1/3 of a small head of cabbage (you might need a bit more), shredded

about 2/3 of a can of beets canned in water (not pickled), sliced.

2 chicken thighs, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

garlic powder (or a diced version of the real thing, if you're lucky enough to have it), to taste

1/2 T. vinegar

1. Put the potatoes in first, with enough broth and water to cover them. Add the rest of the ingredients, making sure chicken and vinegar go last. Add water when needed so it stays just level with the top of the ingredients.

2. Let simmer until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Serve with sour cream and make sure you have plenty of bread to dip.

You could also put a bay leaf in it, I just never have them on hand. I know, I know. I have them now, I just don't usually have them.