This recipe for Brown Lentil and Beet Borscht is an adaptation of a delicious recipe called Beluga Lentil Borscht from The Great Vegan Bean Book: More than 100 Delicious Plant-Based Dishes Packed with the Kindest Protein in Town! - Includes Soy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes! The adaptations I've made are largely based on what ingredients I needed to substitute because they weren't in the house. She provides an option for using oil or not, and a recipe for "Cashew Cream" to serve as a garnish. There is also an alternate Slow Cooker recipe.
This recipe makes 8 servings, which means most of us can put it away to fully savour again on another day. I freeze mine but it would be wonderful as a home-canned soup! Now, on with the recipe:
INGREDIENTS
- 1 big organic roasted potato, chopped
- 2 small organic carrots, roasted, chopped
- 3 medium beets, roasted, peeled, chopped
- 1 T. Water or Broth
- 1 small chopped Onion
- 3 cloves minced Garlic
- 1 tsp. Caraway or Fennel Seed (I only had fennel)
- 1 C. Brown Lentils
- Leaves from above beets, chopped (optional)
- 6 C. Water for cooking
- 2 Bay Leaves (remember to remove before serving!)
- 1 jar organic Pasta Sauce (containing Tomato)
- 2 tsp. dried Dill
- 1 T. Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Perogies to garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400F
- Chop and roast the potato, carrots and beets for about 25 minutes in a heavy covered pot (clay or whatever)
- Saute the Onion for about 5 minutes in the small quantity of water in a large pot. Add in the Garlic and Seeds for an additional 1 minute
- Combine the roasted vegetables with the onion/garlic/seeds in the pot, add the cooking water, bay leaves, and lentils and cook until tender (about 20 minutes)
- Add the pasta sauce and dill and cook for about 15 more minutes, or until dill is rehydrated
- Boil up some perogies (store-bought, or your own)
- Before serving add Apple Cider Vinegar, pepper, and salt. Remove the bay leaves.
- Top each individual bowl with perogies
Enjoy!