This soup is a light, easy-to-make soup that is a summertime favourite in Russian cuisine and is loved by kids of all ages.

Ingredients:

3 mediums beets
1 medium-size parsnip
2 tablespoons lemon juice
100 mL vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
4 hardboiled eggs
4 medium new potatoes, boiled and peeled
1 large fresh peeled cucumber
1 bunch of green onions
A bunch of fresh parsley
Pickles (optional)
Sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Bring beets to a boil in a stock pot, simmering until the beets are tender. Add parsnip for the last five minutes of simmering. Remove and cool the beets and parsnip, peel and grate and add them back to the simmering liquid. Add lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, dill pickle juice, salt and pepper to taste. Be sure to season well so the taste is a mixture of sweet and sour but tastes more sour than sweet. Remove pot from stove to cool and then chill soup in the fridge overnight, or for at least six hours. When ready to serve, chop up the eggs, potatoes, cucumbers, green onions, dill, parsley and the (optional) pickles. Divide these ingredients between soup bowls, ladle the soup into each bowl and serve topped with sour cream. Divide these ingredients between soup bowls, ladle the soup into each bowl and serve topped with dollops of sour cream.

Makes 4 to 6 servings