1-First, wash the beef in cold water and cut it into 1-inch pieces, then place it in a large soup pot with 14 cups cold water and 1 tablespoon salt. Bring it to a boil, remove any foam that rises, reduce the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, skimming foam as needed. While that’s bubbling away, grate your beets and get ready for the next steps it’s all about building layers of flavor here.

2-Next, in a heavy-bottom skillet, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon vinegar and sauté the grated beets for 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons tomato sauce or paste (or 3 tablespoons ketchup), and keep sautéing for about 10 minutes until they soften, stirring occasionally. In the same skillet, melt 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and sauté the finely diced onion for 2 minutes, then add the grated carrots and cook another 5 minutes until softened, adding more oil if necessary.

3-After the beef has simmered, add the sliced potatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes. Then, toss in the sliced cabbage, the sautéed beets, onion and carrot mixture, and the peeled and diced tomatoes, and let it cook for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Finally, stir in the 2 bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and salt to taste, followed by the 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley and pressed garlic cloves. Cover the pot, remove from heat, and let it rest for 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot, garnished with sour cream and fresh parsley or dill it’s that simple, and you’ll feel like a pro in no time!