Beets are amazing blood builders. So is bone marrow and bone broth. Blood and bones are intricately linked, since creating blood starts in the bone marrow. It’s one of the reasons women who are trying to conceive are told to eat bone broth, because creating new life starts in the bones of the mother. Of course all of us, women in particular, benefit from the blood-building qualities of these nourishing Winter foods.

To build your bones, try this Eastern European soup recipe that's great on a cool day in winter or early spring. All of these ingredients tend to be what's available in the late winter before the growing season begins, so they should be readily available if you're sticking with local, seasonal produce.

If you're a vegetarian, you can adapt this recipe and skip the beef bone broth and simply include all of these - and maybe even more - veggies into your recipe.

The instructions below are for an instant cooker, but can easily be adapted to the stove top in a soup pot. 

Ingredients:

2 large beets, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces

1 beef bone with meat, or 2-3 marrow bones

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 small onion, diced small

1/2 bunch of dill, chopped (more if you like to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Water, or beef broth (optional)

1 lemon, cut into quarters for serving (optional)

Other optional vegetables for variety: carrots, celery, leeks

Instructions:

Set your instant pot to "sauté" or "brown." Sprinkle salt and pepper on the beef bone and meat. Brown the beef bone on both sides for 2 minutes each side. Add the onions (or carrots, celery and leek, if using) and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the cabbage. Add beets. Then add water to cover everything. You can also use beef broth in addition to some water to add flavor. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Set to slow cook for about 4-6 hours. The longer the better with this kind of soup. Add chopped dill closer to end of cooking time so the flavor is brighter.

Before serving, scoop out the beef bone, and any beef meat. Shred meat into smaller pieces and return to pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon.