Recipe: Borscht (Beet Soup)

This thick, sweet soup makes it easy to incorporate beets into your diet. Beets are rich in antioxidants and are heart-healthy. Read more about their benefits here.

This soup has a deep maroon color and is sweet thanks to the beets, sweet potatoes, and carrot. Adding a splash of fresh lemon juice just before serving provides a little acid to cut through the sweetness.

Borscht

(Inspired by the recipe from The Lotus and the Artichoke cookbook)

Ingredients:

3 medium beets, peeled and chopped into small pieces

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 small onion, chopped

2T olive oil

1T apple cider vinegar

4 cups water

1tsp salt

Garnish: fresh dill or dillweed; vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream; fresh lemon juice

Directions:

In a large pot, sautee the onion in the oil for 5 minutes. Add the chopped beets, sweet potatoes, and carrot, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the vinegar, and cook for 1 minute. Add 4 cups water, bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, and simmer until the vegetables are fork tender (about 15-25 minutes). Blend the mixture with a hand blender or blend in batches in a high-speed blender (be careful when blending hot food/liquids in a blender – allow room at the top for steam to escape). Return the pureed vegetables to the pot. Add the salt, and stir the mixture well. Taste and add salt to your liking. Serve hot with a little fresh lemon juice squeezed over the top. Garnish with a dollop of vegan sour cream or yogurt and sprinkle with fresh dill or dillweed. 

Review: Vegan Smoked Salmon by Sophie's Kitchen

Vegan Smoked Salmon by Sophie's Kitchen is a milder, cruelty-free version of the original.

One of my favorite breakfast items prior to going plant-based was a bagel, lox, and cream cheese. Finding vegan bagels and cream cheese isn’t tough, but finding vegan smoked salmon is!

I was excited to try the Vegan Smoked Salmon by Sophie’sKitchen to experience that creamy, chewy texture of a protein atop tangy cream cheese and a toasted everything bagel.

The package is lovely, and the smoked salmon was equally beautiful. The slices were thin and spongy when taken out of the fridge. It’s best to let the salmon come to room texture so it becomes less spongy. The product smelled exactly like smoked salmon.

After placing the slices on a plate, I covered with a paper towel and put a plate on top to press out any extra liquid.

After 45 minutes, I toasted my bagel and got my cream cheese spread ready.

Cream Cheese Spread with Chives and Water Chestnuts

• 8 oz. tub of dairy-free cream cheese (I used Tofutti cream cheese)
• 1/4 c. of diced water chestnuts
• 1-2 T of dillweed
• Pinch of salt

Empty all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Add dillweed and/or salt to your taste.

I find that adding chopped water chestnuts to the cream cheese gives a crisp crunch to every bite.

I assembled my sandwich and dug right in … Yum!

While the smell of the smoked salmon is strong, the flavor is more subdued. I put two slices per sandwich, but if you want a stronger salmon flavor, you might need 3-4 slices per sandwich. When I took bites that had less cream cheese, I could easily identify that wonderful smoked fish flavor.

This product is a definite winner.