This is what I used:

• 5 dl soy chunks (textured soy protein)
• 2 big onions
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
• 5 dl water
• 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar

I started by rinsing the soy chunks in a colander thoroughly. Then I chopped the onions finely, and fried them in the canola oil until translucent. I removed the frying pan from heat, added paprika, smoked paprika and the ground caraway seeds, and stirred. Paprika burns very easily, so that’s why it’s better to stir in the spices after removing the pan from heat.

I returned the frying pan to the stove on medium heat, and added the soy chunks, water, stock powder, salt, black pepper, and sugar. When the sauce started to boil, I lowered the heat, stirred it, covered the frying pan, and simmered for one hour, stirring every now and then.

At this point, the sauce had thickened quite a bit, and the pörkölt could have already been served. However, I wanted a thicker stew, so I simmered the pörkölt in the covered sauce pan for another 20 minutes, and then the pörkölt had the consistency I desired. This extra simmering is completely optional and depends on the kind of stew you like. We served the pörkölt with boiled potatoes and grated carrots. It can also be served over pasta or Eastern European dumplings called galuska.

We enjoyed our borsch with a big dollop of plain soy yogurt, sprinkled with plenty of frozen parsley. This was the first time I added soy protein chunks in borsch soup – they’re a totally optional ingredient that makes the soup even more filling.

The process of making this soup is pretty easy, but it is actually even better the next day, so we made a huge batch. I would say that even half of this amount should leave plenty of leftovers for two people.

What we used:

• 2 big onions
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 6 beetroots (about 500 g)
• 3 carrots (about 200 g)
• 500 g cabbage
• 400 g sauerkraut
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1,5 dl textured soy protein chunks
• 2 l vegetable stock (3 cubes & 2 l water)

Seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• a lot of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons dried marjoram
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
• 1 dl frozen parsley

First, I peeled the beets and brushed the carrots. Then I sautéed the onion in oil until translucent. Meanwhile, Heikki grated beets, carrots, and cabbage coarsely in our electric grinder. Then he added the grated veggies in the cooking pan, and sautéed them for 10 minutes or so.

Now, I added the tomato paste, garlic, and sauerkraut, and sautéed this for some 5 minutes. Now everything was medium done, and I added the vegetable stock, and all the seasonings, and brought the soup to a boil.

Then I rinsed the soy chunks thoroughly in cold water, added them to the soup, and let it simmer for about 50 minutes.