The first time I had borscht, I was a junior at the University of Texas. My Russian professor was hosting a small party at his house in East Austin. I was already a vegan at the time, and expected there would be little to accommodate my diet. But, before the heavy cream was applied, the borscht fit the bill. I'll never forget how, there in the heat of the summer, such a hearty soup could serve to refresh and invigorate.

Borscht is a traditionally vegetarian dish, and with the cream left out, is genuinely vegan. This particular recipe has great texture: the beans and cabbage give the soup a hearty bite, and the beets and tomato give the broth dense, smooth body. The result is fairly sweet; the vinegar is included to cut through the flavor to suit your taste.

Ingredients

1 medium white cabbage, shredded 2 medium beets, straw-like sliced 2 medium carrots, straw-like sliced 4-6 young white potatoes, diced 1 cup of dried beans (any kind) 4-5 dried mushrooms 1 large white onion, chopped 2 tbl spoons of white wine vinegar 3 tbl spoons of any vegetable oil (sunflower oil is the best, corn oil is okay) 3/4 cup of tomato paste Dill, or parsley, or any favorite herbs to garnish

Directions

If using dried beans, soak the beans overnight or for 4 to 6 hours before beginning to cook. Begin by bringing a large pot of water to boil. Slice the mushrooms. If your mushrooms are dried, you may want to soak them beforehand. Add the beans to the pot. Dice the beets and carrots into inch-long sticks. Dice the potatoes. When the beans have cooked through and are tender, add the carrots, beets, and potatoes to the pot. Cook about 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Chop the onions. Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pan. Add the onions to the pan and cook them until golden. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the onions to the pot. Cook for several more minutes. Add the tomato paste to the pot and mix it in. Add the herbs and vinegar to taste. Remove from the heat. Refrigerate before serving.