How to Cook It:

1. 1

   Fist, slice your meat. If you are using raw meat, place it in a large pot and once it is all cut up, flood the pot with water and then bring it to a boil. Make sure that there is a lot of water at the top too.

2. 2

   Skip step 1 if you are using ham/sausages

3. 3

   Time to slice all of your veggies. Peel the carrots, onion, and beet. Then slice them all along with the tomatoes and mince your garlic.

4. 4

   Cut your potatoes rather big. This is because this is a soup and if you cut them too small, they will break down in the cooking process.

5. 5

   As the meat is beginning to boil, the scum will rise to the top. Skim this off the top with either a strainer, ladle, or spoon.

6. 6

   Now, once the meat has been boiling for about 5-10 minutes, add in all of your sliced vegetables except for the garlic.

7. 7

   Add the lemon juice here, salt and pepper for seasoning, and then reduce your boil to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.

8. 8

   While you have 15 minutes, it is time to shred your cabbage. Do not use the core for this.

9. 9

   Once the 15 minutes is up, add in your shredded cabbage, sugar, and garlic, and simmer for another 15 minutes.

10. 10

    At this point, you are essentially done! What you need to do now is put some of the borscht into a bowl.

11. 11

    Taste it. It should be a bit tart. You can always add more salt and pepper if it is not enough. Then, sprinkle some dill seasoning if you have and top it off with a dollop of sour cream.

(Note: Be careful while slicing everything up. Let someone know what you are doing! )