Potato, White Bean & Sauerkraut Soup

This hearty Russian winter soup, also called sour shchi, is deliciously tangy and filling. Made with potatoes, carrots, leeks, white beans and herbs, this recipe is perfect for those times when you need to use up the rest of the fresh produce. High quality fermented sauerkraut makes this soup extra healthy and full of both probiotics and probiotics.

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I first heard about this soup when researching Russian recipes a little over a year ago, and ever since coming up with my own version I’ve been making it almost on a weekly basis. It has become my favorite way to enjoy sauerkraut and since this recipe is so veggie-packed it’s the perfect way to use up lots of leftover fresh produce.

Shchi is a traditional soup of Russia where it has been known as far back as the 9th century. While meat was sometimes added, this recipe was often made with beans instead as they were more accessible for the majority of people. When sauerkraut is added to the soup, it is known as sour shchi.

It is also flavored with herbs like thyme and dill as well as caraway seeds, which are commonly used in Russian cooking as well as in making rye bread. The caraway seeds are important in this recipe and can’t be subbed because they are what give this soup an authentic pickled flavor.

Since the sauerkraut is the main focus of the recipe, it's important that you chose a super delicious one. Typically, the best sauerkrauts are the fermented ones that come in a glass jar in the refrigerated section. My favorite lately has been the traditional fermented sauerkraut by the brand Bubbies.

This soup is so wonderfully tangy and satisfying. It's great on it's own or with a side of whole grain rye bread and a dollop of vegan sour cream. It's a fantastic recipe to cook any time of the year, and if you make a big batch it keeps really well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

You may remember this recipe from when I posted it a little over a year ago, but I decided to post this updated version since refining the ingredients a bit more. I’ve also gone back and made a recipe video for this one since it’s one of my favorite recipes ever- I hope you enjoy it too!

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Potato White Bean & Sauerkraut Soup

Balsamic Borscht- Beet & Cabbage Soup

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This vibrant red beet soup is packed full of nutritious whole plant foods and cooked with flavorful mustard and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The beets are peeled and become very sweet when cooked, so there's no earthy taste here! Just sweet, tangy, wholesome goodness. 

This soup contains a variety of some of the healthiest whole plant foods possible, including beets, potatoes, carrots, purple cabbage, leeks, garlic, and fresh herbs. Despite this soup being such a healthy meal, you wouldn't guess that from the way it tastes. It's lightly sweet from the beets and gets a delicious tangy flavor from the balsamic vinegar which is added in at the very end. 

This recipe is fairly easy, but be warned- there's a lot to chop!

Sometimes it helps to put on a podcast to listen to in the background, but lately I try to use the time spent chopping as an opportunity to tune in and be more present with what I'm doing. It's a great time to slow down and feel grounded while preparing myself a truly nourishing meal. 

Once everything is chopped and the cooking has commenced, I like to whip up a quick cashew sour cream. My favorite vegan sour cream recipe is this recipe by Hot For Food. While this soup is fantastic with or without sour cream, it's so easy to make that I usually find it worth the small amount of effort. 

If you've been following my blog since the beginning, you may remember that one of my very first recipes was a for a borscht soup! Since then, my recipe has changed a bit with the addition of the balsamic vinegar and getting really specific on the exact measurements after making this countless more times since then. 

Over the years this has become one of my all-time favorite recipes and one that I've been really excited to update and share with you so that you can try it out for yourself. As good as it tastes, the way it makes you feel is the best part! I hope you enjoy the recipe, and if you do feel free to let me know what you think of it by leaving a comment down below.  

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Balsamic Borscht Soup

Sweet Potato Leek & Kale Hash

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This nutritious breakfast hash is a perfectly wholesome way to start your day and get in those dark leafy greens. For a while I thought that blending greens into smoothies was the only way they'd ever make their way into my breakfast, but on those days when I'm craving a warm hearty breakfast that's not oatmeal, veggie hash has been my go-to meal. 

This savory breakfast is probably not for everyone. I'll admit, it's a little hardcore- the kind of breakfast that maybe you'd imagine your dreadlocked, buckwheat-sprouting, kundalini yoga teacher might be into. It's probably not the right dish to serve to hungry brunch guests who are skeptical about what vegan food is. But I promise, it's still really delicious, and so full of all of the important nutrients that your body needs to make you feel super healthy and strong. 

If it helps, think of this like a scramble or stir fry, except instead of eggs we're using sweet potato, and instead of oil, we're lightening things up using just a bit of water and lemon juice. Okay, maybe it's nothing like scrambled eggs, but it's going to make you feel fantastic! This is the kind of meal you'll want to make when you need all the nutrition you can get in one easy to assemble package. 

This week I've been having a little bit too much fun in the kitchen. I love cooking gourmet, fancy meals with complicated ingredients and that require a whole days work of rolling dough and folding things into fun shapes. Unfortunately, these recipes always have lots of flour, salt, and sugar, and tend to lack the fiber and nutrition you'd get from a much simpler meal. After a day or two of gourmet experimentation, I was more than ready for a big simple bowl of veggies. So I chopped up a whole head of kale and the biggest sweet potato I could find and this hash recipe was born. 

This dish gets most of the flavor from the herbs, leek, garlic, and lemon juice, so there's not a lot of complexity going on here, but these simple ingredients allow subtle sweet flavors of the veggies to shine. If you don't have a leek, you could definitely substitute a small onion instead, but the flavor will be a little bit stronger. 

I hope you enjoy this super healthy recipe!

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Sweet Potato & Kale Hash

Hot & Sour Cabbage Soup

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This hot & sour cabbage soup is one of my favorite new soup recipes. I've never been super enthusiastic about cabbage before, but since throwing this recipe together, I feel completely different about it now. Somehow the combination of sour with spicy fits so well with the purple cabbage and brings out it's best qualities.

Purple cabbage is the healthiest kind of cabbage because it has the most antioxidants. Green cabbage will also work in this recipe, but not carry quite the same nutritional load. Plus the purple color it gives the soup is so pretty!

Recently I've started adding a bit of sauerkraut to this soup along with some of the juices, and that adds to the delicious sour flavor, but if you don't have access to good fresh sauerkraut that comes in a jar in the refrigerated section, feel free to omit it and replace with an extra tablespoon of lime juice. The tofu is also optional. The cabbage and mushrooms are hearty enough that it's not entirely necessary, but it does make the soup more filling. 

This soup recipe was inspired by the Dr. McDougall's hot & sour ramen noodle instant soup. When we were travelling in our trailer across the country, we loved the convenience of having instant soups at rest stops and campsites along the way, but they're not an ideal health food at all. I wanted to make my own version that was full of healthy veggies instead and the result was this delicious cabbage soup.

If you try this recipe, leave a comment down below! 

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Hot & Sour Cabbage Soup

Pumpkin Leek Risotto + Leftover Risotto Balls!

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Is it pumpkin season yet? I may have jumped the gun on this one, but I've been obsessed with this pumpkin leek risotto lately. It has a delicate creamy flavor with a light herb seasoning and just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. 

You could spend an hour roasting a whole pumpkin or squash, and that would definitely be delicious, but for the sake of time I usually make this with canned pumpkin. That helps keeps the time on this recipe under 30 minutes, which makes it a viable option for a weeknight dinner or quick lunch. 

Since I tend to make risotto in large batches, I've started turning the leftovers into little crunchy risotto balls. Simply cool the risotto in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to firm up the mixture, then scoop out spoonfuls and hand shape into spheres. Roll the spheres in a bowl of breadcrumbs, bake in the oven, and serve with marinara sauce. 

These risotto balls make a wonderful appetizer to bring to fall parties (Labor day already?!) or to introduce people to vegan food who may not have considered before just how tasty plant-based foods can be. 

Here's what you'll need:

Not shown: Vegetable broth, Salt

The first time I made risotto, I was very intimidated and worried about ending up with a mushy mess stuck to the bottom of the pan. The key to avoiding this is to keep the heat no higher than medium and to stir constantly. This dish cooks quickly, but needs your attention and stirring for most of the cooking time (~15 minutes)

We add the vegetable broth in one cup at a time. Once the leeks are cooked, the rice has been added, and the vinegar has been absorbed by the rice, it's time to add our first cup of broth.

When the rice has absorbed most of the broth, as shown in the photo below, then you can add another cup of broth and repeat until rice is cooked and fluffy. 

The rice has absorbed our first cup of broth so now we can add the second cup. 

When all of the broth has been added and absorbed, it will look like the photo below. The rice will have become more translucent and it will be creamy and soft. 

Now we'll lower the heat to a simmer and add our herbs, pumpkin puree, and cashew parmesan. 

Let the dish rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Top with additional cooked leeks for garnish.

At this point, you could serve it as it is, or allow the dish to cool and then place in the fridge overnight. Once mixture has cooled, hand roll into balls, and then coat with a breadcrumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silpat, and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. 

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Pumpkin Leek Risotto

Potato Leek Soup [Vegan, Oil-Free]

This particular potato leek soup has become one of my all time favorite easy weeknight recipes. Nutritional yeast and lime juice give it a tangy cheesy flavor which make it taste like a classic creamy potato leek soup, without the dairy and cholesterol. 

This is a super simple and easy recipe with a big payoff in both flavor and nutrition. I usually leave the potato skins on for extra nutrients and toss in some broccolini if I have it. I've made versions of this with and without broccolini and enjoyed both, so feel free to add it in or not.

If you are looking for a way to make cleaning and chopping leeks a little easier, check out this method here. Lately I find them even more pleasant to work with than onions and I love the delicate flavor they add to soups. 

If you make this recipe I'd love to hear what you think of it! I hope you love it as much as I do and that it becomes one of your go-to weeknight meals. 

Potato Leek Soup

How to Properly Wash A Leek

When I first started using leeks I had no idea how to wash them properly. It seemed impossible to clean under all of those layers of leaves. Well here's the trick- 

1. Slice halfway through the leek, up the entire stem.
2. Turn the leek 90 degrees, and slice again, only letting your knife go halfway though.
3. Turn 90 degrees one more time and make one more slice the same way, not cutting all the way though. 

The leaves should now all fan apart making it much easier to clean! Rinse leaves thoroughly under running water, pulling them apart to get to the center ones. Pat dry. 

Enjoy your leek :)