Masha’s Iron Curtain Soup

Ingredients

• 1 kg beets, peeled and diced
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1.5 l vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt to taste
• 4 eggs
• 2 large pickles, whole
• 1 bunch fresh dill
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Sauté onion, garlic, carrot, and celery for 5 minutes.
2. Add beets and cook for 5 more minutes.
3. Stir in tomato paste. Deglaze with stock.
4. Add bay leaves, vinegar, sugar, pepper, and salt. Simmer for 40 minutes until everything is tender.
5. Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs (10 minutes), peel and halve them.
6. Briefly warm the pickles in hot water so they are lukewarm.
7. Remove bay leaves from the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning.
8. Pour the soup into a long, narrow dish.
9. Place a halved egg (Masha) on the left, a whole pickle (the Bear) on the right.
10. Lay a thick line of dill across the middle as the 'curtain'.

Serving notes

• Serve in a rectangular or oval dish for the border effect.
• Offer extra dill on the side.
• Serve with rye bread.