Though all borschts—and there are hundreds of regional versions—include beets or beet juice, this peasant soup from Eastern Europe is fundamentally a blank canvas: sort of a “stone soup.” We’ve added red potatoes and lima beans to our vegetarian rendition, but you could try Yukon Gold potatoes and black-eyed peas, or sweet potatoes and white beans, or corn and black beans. The variations are endless.

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1¼ pounds beets, peeled and cut into ½-inch chunks (you can also use canned beets*)
• ¾ pound red potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cans (14 ½ ounces each) stewed tomatoes, chopped with their juice*
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup frozen lima beans
• 3 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon salt

1. In a nonstick Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
2. Stir in the beets, potatoes, tomatoes and their juice, water, lima beans, tomato paste, vinegar, and salt, and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until the beets and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.

Makes 4 servings; per serving: 255 calories, 3g total fat (0.5g saturated), 9g dietary fiber, 53g carbohydrate, 9g protein, 740mg sodium.

From The Wellness Kitchen