Borscht

So often the English interpretation of borscht consists of little more than beetroot pureed in stock. There are thousands of variations from across Eastern Europe, but this recipe is the feast it can be; one to bolster hungry workers and tractor drivers, stir revolutionaries and tired writers while staining the shirts of greedy oligarchs. A statement in its blood colour alone, piping hot and full of essentials, this soup brims with vitality. Raise the red flag if serving borscht.