Submitted by Sarah Harwood

Beets. For the most part, you either loathe ‘em or you love ‘em. I happen to belong to the latter camp. There’s something about bright food that simply makes a person’s heart sing, right? Borscht is traditionally a hearty winter soup, but I figure we’re allowed to flex these rules up here. P.S. Add a diced apple in with the rest of the veggies for a nice sweet undertone. This recipe was taken from the book Voluptuous Vegan.

Ingredients

A glug or two of olive oil

2 medium onions, cut into small dice

1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes

1/4 medium-sized head of cabbage (red or green)

1 bay leaf

3 medium beets, peeled and cut into small dice

1 medium carrot, sliced thinly in half-moons (Caving to convenience, I made mine with a hand full of the pre-julienned carrots you get in a bag.)

1 small potato (I recommend red), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups white kidney beans or 1 15-ounce can

6 cups vegetable stock

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons mirin or sherry

2 cups chopped beet greens (from 3 medium beets) or Swiss chard

Black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Vegan sour “cream” or yogurt and chopped herbs for topping

Warm the olive oil in a big pot. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are softened and just starting to brown. Add the tomatoes and cabbage and cook about 5 minutes, until the cabbage is wilted and the tomatoes have reduced.

Add the bay leaf, beets, carrots, potatoes, beans, and stock. Cover and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, add a teaspoon of salt, and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the mirin and beet greens and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Finish the soup by adjusting the salt to taste and add black pepper and lemon juice. Serve with a generous scoop of “sour cream” and chopped herbs. With a wedge of crusty bread (check out your local Farmers’ Market) and a salad, and you’ve got yourself a pretty awesome meal.