Vegan Solyanka

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 2 large onions
• 1 celeriac
• 4 carrots
• 3 potatoes, floury
• 2 tbsp green peppercorns
• 8 bay leaves
• 6 garlic
• 2 liters of water
• 1 ½ tube(s) tomato paste
• 1 ½ kg bell pepper(s)
• 2 jars of pickles
• possibly yeast extract or Marmite
• 1 package smoked tofu
• 200 g paprika paste
• salt and pepper
• Sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 2 hours 15 minutes

veganized according to my East German mom’s recipe

For the vegetable broth, chop the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes and fry them in oil in a pressure cooker (mine has a 6-liter capacity). The vegetables can get a little brown and fry on the bottom; this will give them a delicious roasted flavor. This takes about 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. (You can vary the quantities slightly here, adding or substituting celery with stalks, or adding parsley root, for example, whatever you have on hand.) Then pour in the water. Add the peppercorns, bay leaves, and half the finely chopped garlic and place the lid on the pressure cooker. Wait until steam escapes and it sizzles, then reduce the heat to low. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat and let it cool. In the meantime, chop the bell peppers into pieces or strips. Chop the gherkins and save the broth; it will go into the soup later. When the pressure cooker has cooled enough to open, remove the lid. It’s best to remove some of the vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and add them back later, as needed and if there’s still room. Now season the broth with salt and add tomato puree and paprika puree. If you like, you can also add yeast extract or Marmite. If you don’t have or can’t buy paprika puree, 2 tablespoons of paprika powder will do. Whether you use mild or hot is up to you; I prefer hot; with this amount of soup, it won’t end up being too spicy. I also always add 1 tablespoon of sugar here, but it’s not necessary. Now add the bell peppers and let everything simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the sliced ​​cucumbers and drained stock (without the mustard seeds, etc.). Bring the soup back to a boil and simmer over low heat. Meanwhile, chop the smoked tofu and fry in a pan with oil over high heat until browned and crispy, then add it to the soup. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and sugar. Let everything simmer for another 10 minutes, then serve the solyanka. Serve with white bread and soy yogurt. Vegetarians can use sour cream or sour cream. For non-vegetarians/vegans who simply want a vegetable broth-based solyanka, you can also replace the tofu with sausage of your choice (fried or unfried). I recommend Cabanossi.