Vegetarian Borsh (East European beet soup)

борщ вегетарианский (barsht, borsht, barszcz)

Main ingredients:

vegetarian stock
1 medium-sized beet
mushrooms
lime
soy sauce
grains (quinoa works great; rice or barley should be precooked)
OR
beans and chickpeas (soak overnight if using)
OR
potatoes

On vegetarian stock:

At some point, I will post a good vegetarian stock recipe and update this section. For now, please refer to the many recipes online. You can always use water instead of stock, provided you have enough ingredients that will cook together long enough to flavor the water.

Stock is the flavored liquid made by boiling a lot of vegetables for 40min to 1hr. The main ingredients typically include a whole onion (skin removed), carrot, celery, anise if you like it. I like to add fresh or roasted garlic. Experiment with spices, laurel leaf, kaffir lime leaf or lemongrass stalk if you have it.

I don't have a set method, so sometimes the stock doesn't quite work. I have my preferred ways of "fixing" watery soup. I usually add lime juice (you can also try a dash of wine). Chilli paste and ketchup work well. Soy sauce and miso paste are my standard fall-back flavorings.

Recommended flavoring:

cloves (if you like them, but use sparingly)
kaffir lime leaf, unless there's some in the stock
pepper

About the ingredients:

Vegetarian borsh is more beety than the non-vegetarian version, but it depends on the depth of the stock and how long you boil the soup. I like borsht that tastes clean and beets that are still crispy. If you don't like that, I've found that boiling more makes it less beety. If the beets drain of colour, you've overboiled.

Beets are good sources of folic acid and potassium. They act as a tonic for the digestive system and the heart. Beet juice apparently helps control cancer (Source: Biggs, et al. Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit). Cloves have antibacterial properties and soothe the intestinal tract (Meletis, Chris. Complete Guide to Safe Herbs).

Optional preparation:

1. Roast the beets in foil with mushrooms, cloves, garlic, and salt
2. Pre-soak beans or chickpeas if using them
3. Pre-cook rice or barley slightly if using them

Quick directions:

1. Fry all the vegetables a bit, then add all other ingredients and fry some more
2. Add water and boil for a few minutes
3. Add soy sauce and seasoning to taste

Detailed directions:

1. Put 3 tbs of olive oil in a deep pan
2. Cut beets finely and fry on medium heat until they start to soften
3. Add potatoes and mushrooms if using them
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, chilli paste if using it
5. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add 2-3 cups of water (best to use already boiling water from the kettle)
6. Add rice or barley if using it
7. Bring to a gentle boil
8. Add lime juice to taste
9. Add a few tbs of soy sauce (Note! Do not add salt yet, as soy sauce is salty)
10. Add more spices, flavoring, etc. to taste
| Click here for directions

Cream of celery and carrot soup

Tools required: food processor (e.g., Magic Bullet)

Main ingredients:

Celery bunch (try substituting other vegetables!)
Carrot
1 medium potato
Medium onion and 3 cloves of garlic
Sour cream or kefir - 1/4 to 1/2 cup (omit for vegan or use silken tofu)

Recommended flavoring:

Spices (e.g., pepper, turmeric, oregano)
Ginger
Laurel leaf or kaffir lime leaf
Basil leaves

About the ingredients:

It's easy to make a lot of this delicious soup and freeze it for later. I recommend you experiment with combining cooked with fresh ingredients. Mixing in a fresh ingredient adds some nutritional content, highlights some of the vegetable's distinctive flavour, and adds some texture variation.

Celery is high in potassium and promotes urinary health. Carrot contains lots of vitamin A and some vitamin E. It's said to be a remedy for diarrhoea, nervousness, asthma, skin disorders, and slowing some cancers. Onion is an antiseptic that helps fight infections in cold and flu season. Garlic is an antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal. It's good for the stomach. It is also said to fight certain types of cancer and reduce the risk of heart attack. Basil helps with fatigue and aids digestion. Ginger is good for the sore throat and reduces symptoms of nausea, fever, and maldigestion. (Source: Biggs, et al. Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit)

Spices, such as turmeric, also add nutritional value to a meal.

Quick directions:

1. Cut and fry the vegetables with preferred spices/flavors
2. Add cup of water and simmer
3. Cool mixture until lukewarm or cool
3. Puree the mixture

Detailed directions:

Cut and fry the vegetables:
1. Put pan on medium heat with 2-3 table spoons olive oil
2. Cut up potato and carrot, and add to pan
3. While potato and carrot are frying, cut up 1/2 bunch of celery and 1 onion
4. Add celery, onion, spices and salt to pan (I prefer a pinch of turmeric and oregano)
5. A few minutes later, add chopped garlic (3 cloves) and 1 tsp grated ginger (or squeezed out juice). Add more if you like ginger, but too much can taste bitter.
6. Fry until potatoes start to soften, stirring occasionally

Add water and simmer:
7. Add laurel leaf and/or kaffir lime leaf
8. Add one cup of water (just enough to fill mixture)
9. Wait for 5 minutes while the mixture boils
10. Cool the mixture on the balcony (10-15 minutes at 10'C)

Cool mixture until lukewarm
11. Verify that pan contents are lukewarm or cool (Be careful!)

Puree the mixture:
12. Transfer contents to a food processor
13. Add a fresh stalk of celery (roughly chopped) and a few leaves of bail to taste
14. Add sour cream or kefir if using it
15. Puree until smooth

Serve hot or cold (I prefer hot) | Click here for directions

Pickled tomatoes

Tools required: Glass bottle, cloth, and elastic

Main ingredients:

Small tomatoes (Roma and vine tomatoes work well)
Salt (Pickling salt is best as it keeps the water from clouding)

Recommended flavoring:

Dried dill stems (old dill preferred)
Garlic - 1 clove

About the ingredients:

Tomatoes, also known by the name Love Apple, probably from pomme d'amour, originated in South America. These delicious berries make a fantastic snack, and in Ukraine people pickle them by the barrelful. I can eat 10 in one sitting. I also like to add them into salads, stir-fries, and guacamole.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin C and beta-carotine (used to make vitamin A). They also contain some vitamin B. Tomatoes are said to be good for the liver and kidneys, and as a remedy for constipation. According my encyclopedia, they are thought to lower the risk of cancer. To me they just taste great. Garlic is a good anticeptic, antiviral, and antifungal, though I don't know how active it is in the pickling jar. Dill juices are used in remedies for gastro-intestinal upset, poor apetite, and hiccups. It's supposed to be generally calming, so it can help alleviate insomnia. (Source: Biggs, et al. Vegetables, Herbs, and Fruit)

It's probably not a good idea to eat too much of them on account of the salt, but the tomatoes themselves, when ready, are not that salty. Moreover, the pickling process has some health benefits. There are upsides and downsides to everything. Some people apparently have a mild allergy to the Solanaceae family, or "night shades", which includes tomatoes, potatoes, and aubergines (eggpants).

Directions:

1. Boil water and cool to lukewarm or cold (for tomatoes that are a bit hard (underripe), use warmer water)
2. Wash tomatoes and put into jar
3. Add lots of salt (start with 2 table spoons), dill, and garlic
4. Pour in water and close jar
5. Tip jar until salt dissolves and taste (it should be very salty)
6. Fit cloth over top and seal with elastic
7. Wait 2-3 days (the longer you wait the more pickled they get)

Notes:

The best dill comes from really old, thick dill plants that have flowered. You take the crowns and the stems, dry them, cut them, and store them. The next best thing is regular store-bought dill. Cut stems off and dry on window sill.

Start without the garlic. Sometimes garlic can obscure the really gentle taste of dill. Additions generally increase the risk of the mixture going "bad". If you find that the tomatoes start "going bad" after a day or two, that means you didn't put enough salt. Keep in a cool place if you intend to keep it for longer than 4 days.
| Click here for directions