Borscht is a super wholesome soup with modest origins in Eastern Europe where it is often prepared as a hearty warm soup in the winter or simply as a cooled thin broth to drink in the summer.



This soup is claimed by so many ethnic groups, especially Ukrainians, Russians, Poles, Lithuanians and Ashkenazi Jews, as their own national or ethnic dish. None of such claims can be proven invalid, as the dishes history actually predates the emergence in Eastern Europe's modern nation states with their ever-shifting border.

Let's just agree that Borscht is perfectly suited to a globalist culture, a cuisine with variants so numerous with varieties so diverse that it is sometimes impossible for a non-specialist to grasp that any single example of this dish is something that is part of a unified tradition. In the spirit of this idea, we at Wholesome Linen present to you a recipe so simple that even a baby would remember the taste for the rest of their life. We wanted to get started by explaining how each separate ingredient possesses its own benefit, especially in the early development of your baby's digestive palette.

Important health benefits of the borscht ingredients

Potatoes: While white potatoes have respectable amounts of Vitamin A and Vitamin C, as well as potassium, their starch component is high.It would best to keep white potatoes out of baby’s diet until between 8-10 months of age.

Onion Bulb: Packed with vitamin C, onions can help boost the immune system and offer protection against bacterial infection. Eating onions can boost your baby’s iron absorption from other foods.This means that your baby may absorb more iron and zinc from foods like rice and chickpeas if you add onions and garlic as you cook them.Small amount of cooked onion can be mixed with foods your baby is already enjoying once they are comfortably digesting first solid foods which happens normally after 8 months of age.

Carrots: One of baby’s first food. They are easy to digest and are packed full of nutrients such as Vitamin C and Calcium and Vitamin A. Vitamin A is very important in a developing infant’s diet. Recommendation for introducing carrots is between 7 and 8 months old.



Cabbage: People call cabbage ‘superfood’, and for a very good reason! Sulfur rich foods like Cabbage ‘feed’ the good bacteria in the gut and make digestion easy. You can give your baby cabbage after 8 months.



Beetroot: Some of the health benefits for babies include the following; cure for anemia; improved digestion; liver protection; anti-oxidant and increased brain activity and development. You may introduce beetroot in quantities of not more than 1-2 teaspoons into your homemade baby food when your baby is at least 8-10 months.



Lemon: The health benefits of lemons can act as a remedy for digestive issues, cure for diarrhea issues and as a remedy for most oral diseases, strengthening the immune system, fighting against cold and also prevents cholera. You can give diluted lemon juice after six months of age.



Tomatoes: Fantastic sources of Vitamin A and Vitamin C. Exercise a bit of caution when offering these tasty little foods to you baby as the acidity of tomatoes may not agree with baby’s tummy, for these reason tomatoes are typically not recommended to be introduced to an infant until somewhere between 10 and 12 months of age.



Salt: Babies should not have more than a small amount of salt: less than 1g (0.4g sodium) a day until they are 12 months. Your baby’s kidneys can’t cope with more salt than this.



Bay Leaf: Some of the most impressive health benefits of bay leaves include their ability to improve digestion, speed up healing wounds, protect the body from bacterial infections, reduce inflammation and alleviate respiratory issues. You can use bay leaf in soups and broths for babies from 8-10 Months.



Dill: may help protect against cancer and has anti-bacterial properties, which means it helps to protect your baby against any kind of infections. It’s also a good source of calcium, plus it contains important minerals like iron, manganese and magnesium. Dill tea is often given to babies for gripe or gas pains. Many pediatricians advise waiting until Baby is seven or eight months old to try different spices

Wholesome Borscht Recipe for Babies & Toddlers

The following recipe is a vegetarian red borscht is intended for a family of 4 can also be fed to your baby. In fact, this soup makes for a wonderful introduction to solid foods for your baby's diet. We recommend that you can feed this to your child after 8 months as lovely soup serves as an excellent healthy immune booster. Veggies can be stewed for softness but you can also puree everything down to liquid. One note, normally with Borsht, veggies are sauteed before adding into soup. Naturally if you are going to be feeding this to your baby do not fry vegetables, as gastrointestinal tract of children this age can not digest fried food.

Ingredients

2 Beetroots

1 Handful of Cabbage

2 Carrots

1 Onion

5 Potatoes

2 Bay Leaves

1 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 Pinch of Fresh Dill

1 Dollop of Sour cream per bowl

Preparation

Yummy and nourishing red beet soup will not leave a single family member disappointed. We want to share with you this wholesome recipe adapted to a babies diet. All ingredients should be as fresh as you can get them and preferably organic, after all, we want our babies introduction to veggies to be as pleasant as possible...

1. Boil beets for 1 hour, after remove beets and pour the broth down the sink (or save it as the perfect homemade dye for other DIY projects ;)

2. Next, prepare the vegetables. Peel and cut finely onions, carrots and potatoes. Carrots grate on medium grater, a potato cut into cubes. Cabbage and onion cut finely. Add all the vegetables in the pot cover with 1 cup of water and stew for 25 minutes.

If your family is not into onions pieces in their soups, you can boil the whole onion bulb and remove it from the soup after you finish cooking.

3. Meanwhile, beets have cool down and now can be easily peeled. Once peeled, grate the beets and add to the soup.

4. Add bay leaf for a special aroma smell and taste. Naturally if you are making this for teens or other adults you can spice it up with Salt, Paprika, Coriander or other aromatics to taste.

If you are planning to use the fresh tomato in your soup, it is necessary to clear the skin first. To do this, tomato scalded with boiling water and its easy to peel off the skin after. Tomatoes can be chopped or you can puree them in blender. Alternatively you can flavor soup with a spoon of tomato paste.

5. Let beet borscht to cool down on a stove for 10 minutes, then pour into bowls

Do not forget to add a spoonful of sour cream and a pinch of fresh dill, it will give it a special tenderness in taste! Bon Appetite!

Now since you are going to try this red borsht soup recipe you probably will need a fresh pair a new bibs for your baby when you are done feeding your little one ;)

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