Slow Cooker Borscht - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb top sirloin steak (cut into 1/2-inch bits)
4 medium beets, peeled and chopped
28 ounces large can diced tomatoes (28 oz)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup baby carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups shredded green cabbage
2 -4 cups beef broth
6 ounces tomato paste (6 oz)
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
16 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream, 2 tablespoons sour cream per person to serve reduced fat

Preparation

Combine the beef and all the chopped vegetables except the cabbage in your slow cooker. You're going to need a BIG oval one; if you have a smaller crock pot, you'll need to adjust the recipe accordingly.
Combine 2 cups of the beef broth with the tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, parsley, salt, dill weed, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix to combine, then pour over the vegetable/beef mix.
If the vegetable/beef mix is not completely covered by the liquid, top off with the extra beef broth until they are.
Cover and cook on the low heat setting for 8 and 1/2 hours. You can cheat and use high heat for 4 hours if you're in a hurry, but don't expect it to be as good.
When the 8 and 1/2 hours are up, turn your cooker onto high heat and add the shredded cabbage. Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes to an hour depending upon how soft you like your cabbage.
Remove the bay leaf. Ladle into a bowl and garnish with two tablespoons of sour cream.