The Beet that Ate Cincinnati (Borsht, באָרשטש,, Barszcz)

That is one really big beet I got this week. That is a smallish pumpkin, I will admit, but it is not one of those tiny little mini pumpkins. Big Red weighed almost two and a half pounds before peeling and trimming. Stoneledge farm also delivered carrots and cabbage, so it seems like a perfect time to make the first hot borsht of the season, especially now that I am inspired by this beautiful post by Pille at Nami Nami. I will double the recipe (because, you see, I have a very big beet).
For now let me note that this is a regular garden-variety hybrid beet that happens to have some pale spots, and not a chioggia beet. I do not especially care for chioggia beets (I think there may be only one other vegetable that doesn't excite me. Can you guess which?); they are tooth-achingly sweet to me, but why should that be a problem when I love desserts that are unbearably sweet for many other people?