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Vegan Shopska Salad
Almost a year ago, I was listening to The Slavic Connexion interview with Dr. Mary Neuburger, Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin and Director of the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies (CREES). She discussed her book, Ingredients of Change: The History and Culture of Food in Modern Bulgaria.…
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Grilled Red Pepper Spread
I’m lucky enough to live very close to a grocery store stocked with delights from Ukraine, Poland, Romania, the Balkans, and more. One of my favorite things is trying all the spreads! Over the last couple months, I’ve tried so many delicious savory vegetable spreads, but one that really stands out is Bulgarian lyutenitsa (or…
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Stuffed Turnips
Slovenes have a tradition of stuffing turnips with millet porridge and cottage cheese, and then, baking them in the oven. To this day, Slovenia’s dish, loška smojka, is considered by some to be a classic part of their cuisine. Inspired by this dish, I decided to create a spin-off vegan recipe for stuffed turnips with…
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Vegan Roasted Buckwheat Mushroom Patties
Buckwheat is an important grain-like seed that’s sustained Slavic people for a thousand years. To highlight this delicious pseudocereal and Slavic flavors, I’ve put together this recipe for vegan roasted buckwheat mushroom patties topped with caramelized onions and fresh dill. Roasted buckwheat groats (sometimes, called “kasha”) are combined with potatoes, mushrooms, onions, leeks and more.…
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Vegan Beet Pierogi
When there’s a chill in the air, it’s time to make pierogi! And this is a delicious vegan (or vegetarian) beet pierogi recipe with potatoes, caramelized onions and fresh dill. It takes time to execute, but if the weather outside is frightful, why not make a dish that’s oh so delightful? Enjoy these dumplings for…
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Vegan Halušky with Stewed Sauerkraut and Tempeh Bacon (Vegan Strapačky)
Halušky is enjoyed across Central and Eastern Europe. The term can refer to the thick, soft noodles or potato dumplings themselves, or to the dish containing them. Slovak Strapačky is a halušky dish with stewed sauerkraut, and bacon. Inspired by Slovak strapačky, this is a delicious recipe for homemade vegan halušky potato dumplings with stewed…
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Beet Risotto
This vegan beet risotto recipe is a delightful blend of elements of Slavic borscht and Italian risotto. It’s flavorful and delicious. And while beauty is never a high priority, I cannot deny how lovely magenta vegan beetroot risotto looks! As I’ve mentioned in other vegan risotto recipes, making risotto takes time and vigilance. It’s not…
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Vegan Stroganoff with Mushrooms and Seitan
About a decade ago, I came across a recipe for vegan stroganoff with tahini. Despite having no vegan sour cream in it, the sauce was great. Time passed, and I haven’t been able to locate it. And honestly, at this point, all I can recall is that it had tahini and cornstarch in it! Inspired,…
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Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi
As the holidays approach, I find that I want to do nothing but eat comfort food. To me, that’s vegan cabbage rolls, mounds of mashed potatoes, sauerkraut soups, cabbage and noodles, halušky, beet soup and yes, lots and lots of vegan pierogi. So, I couldn’t resist putting together this vegan potato and onion pierogi recipe!…
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Smoky Red Bean Soup
This vegan smoky red bean soup recipe is inspired by preparations of Slovak Fazul’ová Polievka (or “bean soup”). There are many versions using different varieties of beans (like white beans, cranberry beans, red beans), meats (smoked bacon, sausage, etc), and add-ins (sour cream, vinegar, etc). However, most preparations involve potatoes, carrots, and paprika in some…
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Beet Potato Salad with Sauerkraut
Inspired by vinegret, a popular Russian and Ukrainian salad, this recipe for cold vegan beet potato salad with sauerkraut is very similar to traditional preparations. Commonly, there are beets, potatoes, carrots, onions, and then, sauerkraut and/or diced pickles. Often, it is dressed in additional brine from the sauerkraut or pickles, and sunflower oil. Positively delicious.…
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Refrigerator Dill Pickles
In the summer, my cousins and I would play outside all day. Periodically, we’d sneak into the refrigerator in the garage and eat icebox dill pickles. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories. And I still love dill pickles. For years, I wasted my money buying them at the store. But these days, I like…
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Vegan Sauerkraut Goulash
Segedinský Guláš is a pork and sauerkraut stew that’s popular in Central Europe, especially in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Inspired by this dish, this vegan sauerkraut goulash recipe is savory, creamy and sour in all the right ways. Vegan goulash with sauerkraut and seitan seasoned with paprika? Yes please! I love how the…
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Vegan Cheesy Potato and Bacon Pierogi
This homemade vegan cheesy potato and bacon pierogi recipe is rich in flavor. Hello tempeh bacon! They have no prepackaged vegan cheese products and are totally nut free. All it takes is some basic plant based staple pantry items to put these together. Similar to the Vegan Mushroom Sauerkraut Pierogi recipe, we’ll walk through the…
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Vegan Pierogi Dough
This is an easy vegan pierogi dough recipe with no eggs or sour cream. It does the trick with basic pantry staples (all-purpose flour, water, canola oil and salt). Once you finish following the directions of this recipe, you’ll be ready to add vegan pierogi fillings, like Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi, Vegan Mushroom and…
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Radish Salad with Fresh Dill and Scallions
Inspired by Slavic flavors, this vegan red radish salad recipe has a pleasing, bright flavor with fresh dill, scallions and distilled white vinegar. It offers a nice counterbalance to rich foods. I feel like it would go very well with Vegan Potato and Onion Pierogi or with a large, holiday spread. It’s always nice to…
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Slow Cooker Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauerkraut Tomato Sauce
Inspired by Slovak holubky (or halupki), this recipe for slow cooker vegan stuffed cabbage rolls with sauerkraut, tomato sauce, brown rice and tempeh bacon is packed with savory, sour flavors. They’re absolutely delicious! I’ve never met a cabbage roll that didn’t require effort to put together. If you’re gonna make these bad boys, you need…
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Carrot and Beet Salad with Fresh Dill and Roasted Pistachios
This is an incredibly easy vegan carrot and beet salad recipe with fresh dill, apple cider vinegar and roasted pistachios. I’ve made it a few times for guests. Every time, someone asks, “Is this on your blog?” And I say, “No, I keep leaving it out, because how many beet salads can one blog have?”…
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Vegan Green Bean Soup
This recipe is inspired by the Slovak soup, Polievka zo Zelenej Fazule. There are many regional differences in how it is prepared, so I took a little bit from one recipe, a little from another, and then, took some liberties. We end up with a vegan green bean soup recipe that is creamy, slightly sour,…
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Vegan Slavic Sauerkraut Soup
Inspired by Slavic flavors, this is a tasty vegan sauerkraut soup recipe with dried mushrooms, sauerkraut, potatoes, and dill. While putting it together, I had thoughts of machanka, a meatless Slovak soup that’s popular during Catholic Lent season. And I also thought about my grandmother’s favorite ingredients–pork products and potatoes. In the end, it’s a…
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Slow Cooker Tempeh Sauerkraut Stew
This is an easy recipe for vegan slow cooker smoky tempeh sauerkraut stew with liquid smoke, smoked paprika, caraway seeds and more. One of my favorite parts is the way the it smells, as it simmers. It’s smoky, savory goodness! And there’s really nothing like kraut and potatoes, so serving this stew over a pile…
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Vegan Potato Zucchini Pancakes
Inspired by Slovak zemiakové placky (which translates in English to “potato pancakes”), this is a recipe for baked vegan potato zucchini pancakes. It preserves some traditional elements (potatoes, garlic, etc), but does take some departures (vegan sour cream, etc). I also prepare them by baking them, instead of frying them. A bit traditional, a bit…
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Vegan Cabbage and Noodles
This vegan cabbage and noodles (or haluski) recipe is simple and delicious! It’s one of my favorite comfort meals. If you’re an American with Slavic roots, you may be familiar with cabbage and noodles. In our household, it consisted of butter, onions, cabbage, broad noodles, salt and lots of black pepper. And before my family…