Borscht (Beet and Cabbage Soup)

I really wish I could have taken a better picture of this soup.  This picture does it no justice.  It was such a beautiful, vibrant colour...not the reddish-brown it appears in the photo.  Clearly my camera was not meant to take photos of borscht!  

That being said, this vegan (without the sour cream) soup is wonderful.  So tasty and warming.  Beets are one of my favourite vegetables, and I just love them in this soup.  

Borscht

4 large beets
2 large carrots
2 medium onions
1/2 head of white cabbage
2 tbsp. olive oil
5 cups vegetable broth
juice from 1/2 a lemon
salt and pepper
sour cream for serving

Peel the beets and carrots and grate them.  Thinly slice the onion and cabbage and chop into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a large pot and saute the beets, carrots, and onion for a few minutes, until starting to soften.  Add the shredded cabbage and the broth and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve with a dallop of sour cream, if desired, and enjoy!

Everything Salad

This salad has so many delicious things in it.  Beets, cranberries, pears, nuts.... and it all tastes so wonderful together.  I made this salad because I was craving something super healthy and flavourful.  And with all these fruits and vegetables I felt healthy indeed.  If I had had some Parmesan cheese I would have grated a bit of that into this salad, so if you have some...grate away!  I tossed everything with a homemade vinaigrette which didn't overwhelm the multitude of flavours in this salad.  

Everything Salad

1 large bowl of mixed greens
1 ripe pear, thinly sliced
1 beet, peeled and grated
1 golden beet, peeled and grated (optional)
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 cup sliced red onion
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp hulled sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, or oil of your choice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients and toss the desired amount with the salad,

Curried Carrot Soup

I have been making this soup for years.  The first time I made it was while I was a broke college student.  It was about midnight and I wanted something healthy to eat while I stayed up all night writing a report that was due the next day (I am a huge procrastinator) so I started flipping through my cookbooks to find something I could make.  I came across a recipe for curried carrot soup and I was surprised that I actually had all the ingredients and could make it.  Luckily, I always made sure I had carrots, onion, and potatoes in my fridge...they are a good base for many soups.  I only had to change one thing, the original recipe calls for evaporated milk but I only had 2% so I used that.  Since then I have made the soup with both types of milk many times, but I believe it's better with the 2%, the consistency is a little smoother and the curry flavour is more pronounced.  This soup has been made for many of my family members and friends and everyone always loves it.  I love making it for potlucks too because it's so easy and inexpensive.  

(The original recipe comes from Pot Luck by Mabel Hoffman.)

Curried Carrot Soup

8 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 potato, peeled and cut into cubes

1 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp. curry powder

2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make this vegetarian)

salt and pepper

1 cup milk 

Add all of the ingredients except for the milk to a large pot set over medium heat.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat, until vegetables are tender.

Use a hand (submersion) blender to puree the vegetables in the pot.  Stir in the milk and heat through. Enjoy!