Vegetarian Borscht

When the colder temperatures hit this month, all I wanted to eat for dinner was a big bowl of comforting soup with fresh bread.

Since I had a huge head of green cabbage sitting in my fridge and local beets are in season, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at a soup I've always wanted to make - borscht!

Rather than sticking with a traditional borscht, I made more of a vegetable stew with beets, potatoes, carrot, cabbage, and cauliflower. And since I was using a vegetable broth instead of beef broth, I tried to make it extra flavourful by cooking some onion, garlic and ginger first, and adding lots of spices and herbs like caraway, cumin, coriander, thyme, and bay leaves.

A bit of plain yogurt or sour cream works perfectly as a topping for this soup, and if I had some fresh dill, I would have added that as a garnish as well. 

For a healthy broth-based vegetable soup, I thought this was actually really tasty and I didn't mind eating it for both lunch and dinner several days in a row, since it made such a big batch! Plus, how can you not enjoy eating something with such a pretty colour!

Vegetarian Borscht
Adapted from Canadian Living 

1 tbsp oil or butter (I used Earth Balance coconut spread)

1 yellow onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp dried thyme

3 small yellow potatoes (about 1 lb), peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1.5 lbs beets (I used three large ones), stems removed, peeled and diced

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped

5 cups shredded green cabbage

1.5 tsp salt

Ground pepper

4 cups low sodium vegetable broth (1 container)

4 cups water

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp agave nectar

3 tbsp white vinegar

Plain yogurt or sour cream for serving (optional)

Fresh dill for serving (optional)

Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the oil or butter. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, caraway, cumin, coriander, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes (until the onion begins to soften).

Add the potatoes, carrot, beets, cauliflower, cabbage, salt, and some freshly ground pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Then add the vegetable stock, water, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low, partially cover with a lid, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender.

Remove pot from heat. Discard the bay leaves and stir in the agave and vinegar. Serve hot, topped with plain yogurt and a handful of chopped fresh dill if desired. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

Brussels Sprout, Cabbage & Tofu Slaw with Coconut-Peanut Dressing

Today's post is one of the more interesting salads I've had in a while. I'm not really sure whether to call it a twist on tofu salad, or a twist on cabbage slaw, so I guess it's a cross between the two!

The bulk of this slaw, which I adapted from Peachy Palate, comes from a mixture of shredded cabbage and raw brussels sprouts. If you've never had raw brussels sprouts, you might be surprised to hear that you can actually eat them just sliced up and tossed in a salad without any cooking. I like the crisp texture and the mild flavour that they add, although of course if you already hate brussels sprouts then I'm not going to try to convince you to try them raw!

The second main component of this slaw is crumbled tofu. Again, it isn't cooked - just drained from the package and crumbled up with your hands, and again, if you're nervous about trying tofu this way then don't worry - it will soak up the dressing really well and tastes delicious!

The dressing is one of my favourite types - a peanut butter based dressing with a bit of lime juice, garlic and ginger, and thinned out with coconut milk. The coconut milk and agave nectar in the dressing put it more on the sweet side rather than spicy, which I thought was appropriate for this salad. I ended up with a bit of extra dressing but I used it all anyway and happily slurped up the excess from the bottom of my bowl!

Once you mix everything together, you end up with a cool and refreshing salad with a lot of different textures, from the creamy tofu to the crisp veggies. The final touches are a handful of peanuts for extra crunch, as well as raisins and coconut flakes to add even more layers of flavour.

This recipe makes a pretty big batch, but it holds up well in the fridge so I was able to enjoy it all week!

Brussels Sprout, Cabbage & Tofu Slaw with Coconut-Peanut Dressing

Adapted from Peachy Palate

3 cups thinly sliced Brussels sprouts (ends trimmed and outer leaves removed first)

2 cups shredded or thinly sliced green cabbage

1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 medium carrot)

1/2 cup thinly sliced radish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

~250 grams firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup sultana raisins

1/4 cup large flaked coconut, toasted
1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Dressing

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk beverage*

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tsp agave nectar

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

2 small cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Ground pepper to taste

First, make the dressing by combining all ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk until the peanut butter is thoroughly mixed in. Store in the fridge while you prepare the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, radish and cilantro. Toss to mix. Crumble the tofu using a fork or your hands and add to the bowl. Add the raisins. Pour the dressing over everything and toss to mix (Note: you may not need all the dressing).

Toast the coconut in a small skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, until lightly browned. When ready to serve, top the salad with the toasted coconut and peanuts.

Makes 4 large servings.

*I used a non-dairy coconut milk beverage, which made my dressing a bit thinner than it would be with full-fat canned coconut milk. Also, if you use a regular coconut milk beverage instead of unsweetened, you might want to reduce the agave a bit.

West African Vegetable Stew

For those of you living in areas that have been hit by the arctic cold weather this past week, I think you'll appreciate today's post for a big pot of healthy vegetable stew!  I made this on Sunday night and with six servings to enjoy, it's been getting me through the deep freeze this week (although I sadly just ate up my last serving for lunch today).

Ever since my trips to Zambia and Kenya this past year, I've been wanting to try cooking more African-inspired dishes.  So I was intrigued when I noticed a recipe for "mafe" in one of my new cookbooks and learned that it is a West African peanut stew traditionally made with meat, but this version was adapted to be vegetarian.

I combined that recipe with a similar one in another cookbook to come up with this variation on mafe.  The base of the stew is a flavourful blend of onion, garlic, ginger, and hot peppers.  Next, you add a mixture of vegetables - I used sweet potato, green pepper, okra, tomatoes and cabbage, which are cooked in vegetable broth and apple juice. Finally, you stir in some cilantro and a generous amount of peanut butter to thicken the broth a bit.

I was a bit nervous adding the cabbage and okra to this dish because I'm not really used to cooking with them. I also know that okra has kind of a bad reputation for being a slimy vegetable, but I had tried it in Zambia and loved it, so I was willing to give it a chance here!

And I was glad that I did - the okra basically blended in to mix with the other vegetables, adding some mild taste and texture without being too noticeable.  Actually, the okra and cabbage ended up being my favourite bits to eat in this stew!

This was definitely the kind of hearty dish that I needed this week - it both warmed me up and filled me up, and had a nice spicy heat to it that wasn't overpowering but still left me with a runny nose! Serve with some rice or couscous to help soak up the broth, and you've got a nice winter meal to enjoy!

West African Vegetable Stew
Adapted from Ripe From Around Here and Vegan Eats World

1.5 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small yellow onions, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapenos, minced

1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½” cubes (about 3 cups)

1 tsp cumin

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped and core removed

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup unsweetened apple juice

1/2 tsp salt

1.5-2 cups chopped fresh okra

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving

4-6 tbsp chopped peanuts

Cooked rice or couscous for serving

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown. Add garlic, jalapenos, ginger, and sweet potato. Stir in the cumin. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the green pepper, cabbage, tomatoes, broth, apple juice, and salt. Simmer on medium heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra and cook for 5 more minutes.

Place the peanut butter in a small bowl. Take about ½ cup of the hot broth and add it to the bowl. Stir until mixture is smooth, then transfer back to the pot and stir to mix it in.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.  Let cool slightly.  Serve over rice or couscous. Top each serving with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.

Makes 5-6 servings

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned a new vegan cookbook that I've been enjoying - Blissful Bites.  When I first looked through the book, this recipe for Laotian larb was one that I skipped over without really stopping to see what it was. With a name that I had never heard of, plus no picture to show me what it was supposed to look like, it just didn't stand out as something I would want to make. And to be honest, something called "larb" didn't sound that appealing to me!

But when I re-read the book looking for recipes I wanted to try next, the ingredients in this recipe made me stop and think - hey, this actually sounds like something that I would love!  It was basically a cold tofu salad with lots of flavourful South-East Asian ingredients that I love to cook with.  Plus it sounded really easy to put together once all the ingredients were prepped!

Before going ahead and making the recipe, I did a bit more internet research on laotian larb and learned that traditionally, the dish is made with minced or ground meat, which can be raw or cooked, and flavoured with fresh herbs, fish sauce and lime juice.

This vegan version replaces the meat with crumbled tofu and the fish sauce with tamari. The recipe also included fresh veggies like shredded cabbage and carrots, and diced red pepper, and I decided to add some shelled edamame as well.

For the herbs, I used the cilantro that the recipe called for, and replaced the mint with Thai basil for more of an authentic flavour.  I also added a few other ingredients to enhance the flavour and spice of the salad, including shallots, garlic and jalapeno. Finally, I decided to brown the tofu in a skillet instead of steaming it, but you could probably just leave it uncooked and the salad would still be good!

After not really knowing what to expect with this dish, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! It was light and fresh and the mix of textures and ingredients came together to create such a flavourful salad with the perfect amount of spice for my taste!  You could eat the salad on its own, but I served mine on top of cabbage leaves and rolled it up to eat it like a lettuce wrap.

I'm not sure how authentic my version of Laotian larb was, but all that mattered to me was that I discovered a new dish from a cuisine I hadn't tried before and loved it!

Laotian Tofu Larb Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from Blissful Bites and The Mistress of Spices

1 package (14 oz) firm tofu

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 large shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup finely diced red pepper

1/2 cup shelled edamame (thawed if frozen)

~5 leaves napa cabbage, shredded, plus more for serving

1 large carrot, shredded

1 jalapeno or other chile pepper, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tbsp chopped thai basil (can substitute mint)

Juice of 1 lime

3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Cabbage or lettuce leaves for serving

Drain the tofu and crumble into pieces. 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add the crumbled tofu and cook for another 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Add all remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the peanuts and cabbage leaves and stir well to distribute ingredients evenly.  Place the bowl in the fridge to chill for 15-30 minutes.

When ready to serve, spoon large portions onto large cabbage leaves and sprinkle with chopped peanuts (or eat as a salad without the lettuce leaves). 

Makes about 4 servings (or more as an appetizer)