Big Russian Vegan

I'm going (mostly) strong with my Lent pledge to be animal free. Admittedly, I had a couple cheats over the weekend. Eating out is nearly impossible...but I did my best.

A few months ago I got a book called "Big Vegan". I am impressed to say that every. single. recipe that I have made out of this book is fantastic. The author has done an amazing job of mixing foods and enhancing their flavors. Best of all, the recipes are relatively simple to make. If I can do it, anyone can do it :)

YUM.

Tonight I made a recipe that I heard about at a party this summer. The dish is called Borscht and is (apparently) a Russian staple. It's a soup with a beet base that can be served warm or cold. Beets are one of my most favorite foods and as they are the main ingredient of this dish-- I knew I HAD to try it. Couple my love of beets with this unusual cold and windy rain we are having here in SoCal and I was sold on a hearty soup for dinner.


I've never actually cooked beets myself. Aside from the big red mess I made on the counter, cutting up beets was less intimidating than I had anticipated. (What I bought at the grocery store looked NOTHING like my favorite beet salad :P). Throw in some potatoes, onions, celery, carrots and a bunch of water...and you have one surprisingly good soup. I had my doubts as it was cooking, but it turned out really well. To finish, I added dill, red wine vinegar, salt and agave syrup. It was yummy.  I served it with a side of ezekiel bread and vegan butter. Even Pres liked it...and he is not a beet fan.

Vegan success!!