Joe, I have a Ukrainian Barszcz recipe that I took down verbally from a Ukrainian cook whose parents homesteaded close to the Hudson's Bay river 'lot' we once had near Smoky Lake, Alberta. Ukrainian settlers are dominant in that part of Alberta (Some Poles also settled in the area, but they mostly have moved to the big cities of Edmonton and Calgary). Most of the Ukrainians came from what once was called Bessarabia, an area now mostly Moldova.

This recipe is a bit incoherent; I don't have my wife handy to help me, but your wife and others might find something of interest in it.

The basis is a 'soup stock.'
6 cups soup stock, which was prepared as follows:
2 pounds brisket, or other meat
10 cups cold water
A marrow bone
3 carrots
1 celery root
1 parsley root
1 large leek
1 1/2-2 medium onions (baked!)
1/2 head savoy cabbage (optional)
3-4 dried mushrooms (gathered locally, not those white things)
Salt, pepper, to taste.
1 tbs fresh chopped dill, (or parsley)

The soup-
6 cups of the soup stock, with pork meat, dried mushrooms and beets added.
2 beets, preferably cut in fine strips (or more)
1/2 head savoy cabbage
5 medium tomatoes, quartered
2 strips raw bacon
1/2 medium onion, grated
1 tsp fresh dill
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tbsp butter 2 hard-cooked eggs (optional)
1/4 pound diced sausage (optional)
Season to taste.

The local smoked sausage from there is heaven, very meaty and low fat.