Borscht(Russia) - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 large can whole tomatoes
2 medium cans sliced beets
6 medium red potatoes diced into bite sized pieces
1 head of red cabbage cut into shreds
1 large onion coarsely diced
1 Tbsp. minced garlic (or more to taste)
3-4 bay leaves
salt
pepper
1 tsp. cumin-optional
dash of hot red pepper flakes-optional
1 whole diced lemon-optional

Preparation

Pour the cans of tomatoes and beets (including the juices) into a large soup pot. Add the potatoes and cabbage and cover with water with at least 1 inch over the vegetables. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to taste and add the bay leaves. Add the cumin, hot peeper and lemon if desired. Bring to a fast boil, lower the heat to a low boil and cook until the vegetables are just tender. I usually put all the ingredients in the crockpot in the morning and we have hot soup ready for dinner that evening. Serve with sour cream.