Borscht - Beetroot soup with Maltese sausage

This is a classic Ukranian soup with a Maltese touch.  You can ommit the sausage for a truly authentic vegitarian dish.  In this recipe I replaced the maltese sausage with pork.

Ingredients

4 Maltese sausages or pieces of pork cut in cubes
3 medium beets, peeled and shredded
3 carrots, peeled and shredded
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
170g tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 medium head cabbage, cored and shredded
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 vegetable cube
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup sour cream, for topping
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Method

Crumble the sausage (if using) into a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside.
 
Fill a large pot halfway with water(about 2 quarts), and bring to a boil. Add the sausage, and cover the pot. Return to a boil. Add the beets, and cook until they have lost their color. Add the carrots and potatoes, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Add the cabbage.
 
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and water with vegetable cube until well blended. Transfer to the pot. Add the raw garlic to the soup, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Taste, and season with salt, pepper and sugar.
 
Ladle into serving bowls, and garnish with sour cream and fresh parsley.