Instructions

1. Trim and scrub the beets, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of stem. loosely wrap them in foil and roast in a 200 °C (400 °F) oven for 1 hour and peel them.
2. Chop the beets into small cubes. Heat the oil and sweat the onion & garlic. Add the chopped carrot, celery and beets. Top with the water, thyme sprigs, salt and cabbage. Bring the pot to a rolling simmer and cook until the carrots are soft; about 40 min.
3. Strain the soup through a sieve into a new stockpot. Pour the reserved mushroom liquid and add along with the fresh pepper, sugar and lemon and salt. Keep warm on a low heat until ready to serve.
4. Pour the boiling water over the mushrooms to reconstitute. Let them site for about 30 minutes.
5. Strain and reserve the liquid. Trim, rinse and finely chop the leeks. heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the leeks and garlic, sautéing until soft.
6. Finely chop the mushrooms and add to the leeks along with the thyme, salt and pepper; sauté for 2 minutes more and add the parsley.
7. Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor. With the power on (CAUTION), add the oil and drizzle hot water through the feed. Cut the dough in half, cover and let it rest for 5-10 minutes.
8. Roll out the first piece of dough about 0.13 of an inch thick (0.5 cm). Cut 2 inch (5 cm) rounds and add a small amount of the mushroom filling to the centre. dampen the edges, fold the dough in half and seal tightly.
9. To cook, drop the pierogies into boiling water for about 3 -4 minutes. Add the pierogies to the borscht just before serving!