Vegan Borsch with Mushrooms and Prunes Recipe
by Alissa Timoshkina
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Easy
This recipe is extracted is from Kapusta by Alissa Timoshkina (Quadrille, £28). Photograhy © Laura Edwards. Author photo credit: Lizzie Mayson
Ingredients for Vegan Borsch with Mushrooms and Prunes Serves: 6
- 30g dried wild mushrooms
- vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and grated
- 2 small–medium beetroots (beets), peeled and grated
- 2 litres vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon allspice berries
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1/3 medium white cabbage, shredded
- 1 x 400g tin red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 70g pitted prunes, roughly chopped
- 100g Classic Sauerkraut with plenty of brine, or shop-bought
- 1 handful of dill, chopped sour cream, to serve (optional)
Method for Vegan Borsch with Mushrooms and Prunes
- Soak the wild mushrooms in 500ml hot water and set aside while you prepare the rest of the borsch.
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion over a medium heat for 8 minutes, until softened. Add the carrot and beetroots with a pinch of salt and sauté for 10 minutes.
- Strain the mushrooms, getting rid of the grit, and reserve the soaking liquid. Roughly chop and add to the pan along with the stock, the dill, a generous pinch of salt, the mushroom soaking liquid, and the allspice and bay leaves.
- Bring to the boil, add the potatoes, shredded cabbage, kidney beans, garlic, and prunes. Simmer for 45 minutes then add the sauerkraut.
- Take off the heat, let cool down completely and leave the borsch in the fridge overnight (oh the patience this step requires!).
- To serve, heat in the same pan, remove the allspice berries, ladle into bowls, then add some dill and a dollop of sour cream (if opting out of a vegan version).
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About the author
Alissa Timoshkina is a chef, curator, and supper club host with a PhD in film history. Her recipes are featured in the Guardian, Red Magazine, Olive Magazine, the Independent, and House & Garden. In 2017, she was shortlisted for the 2017 Young British Foodie Awards.
