Brown Lentil and Beet Borscht

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. The author, Kathy Hester, 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 for BORSCHT:

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 cup brown lentils

leaves from beets, chopped (optional)

6 cups 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

Top with perogies

METHOD for Making Borscht:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F

2. Chop and roast the potato, carrots and beets for about 25 minutes in a heavy covered pot (clay or Instant Pot or whatever)

3. 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

4. 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)

5. Add the pasta sauce and dill and cook for about 15 more minutes, or until dill is rehydrated

6. Boil up some perogies (store-bought, or your own)

7. Before serving add apple cider vinegar, pepper, and salt. Remove the bay leaves.

8. Top each individual bowl with perogies

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If you enjoyed this Brown Lentil and Beet Borsch, you might also want to try Organic Borscht with Basil, Red Lentils and Purple Cabbage (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

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