Ukrainian Meatless Beet Soup Recipe

Ukrainian meatless beet soup or borshch has a little tomato paste in it besides cabbage, onions and other vegetables. This meatless version of ukrainian beet soup is served on fast days and for christmas eve when it is part of the traditional sviat vechir or svyat vechir, a traditional 12-dish meal. A kolach, or a braided, ring-shaped bread, symbolic of eternity and life, serves as a centerpiece for the meal but is not eaten until december 25 because it contains eggs, which are not eaten during advent.