This is a healthy, vegetarian, or vegan kasha recipe or buckwheat with vegetables.
I've been very much into buckwheat lately. Most of the time, it is in a buckwheat soup or roasted buckwheat salad, but often enough as a kind of quick stir-fry like today's vegetarian or vegan buckwheat recipe, as buckwheat porridge for breakfast (sweet) or buckwheat bread.
I love it, no matter how it's cooked. The best part is that my children eat it as well, despite it being such a new discovery and so different from the usual rice, for instance.
I discovered it during our holiday in Poland about one and a half years ago, and I have been hooked ever since. We had it for breakfast there, a savory kasha dish that was so very unsightly yet so delicious. I bought a packet of it in Poland and cooked my first kasha with mushrooms and onions shortly after being back home.
What is buckwheat?
Despite the misleading name buckwheat, it is not a grain and is not related to wheat. Like quinoa or amaranth, it belongs to a group of foods called pseudocereals, meaning that these seeds are consumed just like cereal grains but do not grow on grasses. Buckwheat's grains are actually the seeds of a flowering plant, which is related to rhubarb and sorrel.
Buckwheat is considered an ancient grain, having been cultivated for over 8,000 years. It was a very common crop all over the world until the introduction of nitrogen fertilizer during the 20th century, which helped increase the production of corn and wheat.
As it is not technically a grain but a seed, it is naturally gluten-free. It can be processed into flour or noodles, which makes it a great choice for people suffering from celiac disease.
What is kasha?
Kasha is buckwheat groats that have been roasted. It is also the name used for the porridge dish made from groats. In the US, it is more commonly known as buckwheat groats.
It is a common dish in Eastern Europe but mostly in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. Apparently, kasha is one of the oldest known dishes in the Eastern European region, at least 1,000 years old.
How to cook buckwheat or kasha?
Cooking the groats or kasha is not difficult, but you do have to pay attention to how long you cook it and how much water you use. Kasha should not turn completely soft and mushy.
I don't mind if the groats are slightly overcooked when making a soup. I feel that makes the soup more comforting and appealing to me, but when making another kind of recipe, I prefer to be able to bite on it instead of eating it overcooked and watery.
Buckwheat - water ratio
- Most kasha recipes would instruct you to use a 1 to 2 ratio of groats and water, so 1 cup buckwheat to 2 cups water.
- However, I always use less water, so 1 cup buckwheat to 1 ¾ cup water. I make sure that the lid of the pan fits well so that not too much steam can escape.
How long should you cook buckwheat?
- That is the main issue if you ask me.
- Definitely check the packet's instructions; they can differ so much, from 7-8 minutes on some to 15-18 minutes on others. So, make absolutely sure to check the packet's instructions before you start cooking the buckwheat, no matter what the recipe you are following is instructing you to do.
- I bought the roasted buckwheat groats used in this vegan kasha recipe in the Russian store, so definitely a typical Russian product. There were no cooking instructions on the package, so I started checking the food after 8 minutes of cooking time. In the end, I cooked them for 11 minutes and the groats were just as I wanted them to be.
How to cook buckwheat with vegetables?
The buckwheat and the vegetables are cooked separately, which makes the roasted buckwheat recipe a good one for people who are cooking with buckwheat for the first time. By cooking them in separate pots, you can make sure that you do not overcook the groats, while you wait for the veggies to be cooked.
- Chop the vegetables.
- In the meantime, bring the vegetable broth for the buckwheat to a boil. You can use plain water to cook the kasha, but in this case, I prefer vegetable broth. Using a good-quality vegetable broth/bouillon cube is fine.
- When the broth is cooking, add the rinsed groats, cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and cook until softer but still al dente.
- Please regard the packet's instructions and start checking the kasha 2-3 minutes before the time is up, this way you can make sure that the grains are not overcooked.
- Heat the oil in a pan, cook the onions for about 2 minutes, then add the garlic, peppers, and leeks. Cook for about 3-4 minutes more until slightly softer. Add the tomatoes, spices, and some vegetable broth. Cook until the vegetables are done to your liking, about 10 minutes, and adjust the taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
- Add the cooked buckwheat to the vegetables and stir well but carefully.
- Adjust the taste again with more salt, pepper, and lemon juice if necessary.
How to serve vegan kasha?
You can serve it as it is and keep it vegan this way. However, if you are not looking for a totally vegan meal, I recommend serving the kasha and vegetables with yogurt and carrot sauce. You can also use dairy-free yogurt and maple syrup to make the dip.
To make the carrot and yogurt sauce, mix 2 medium, grated carrots with 250 g/ 1 cup creamy yogurt (Greek yogurt or dairy-free yogurt). Stir and add the juice of ½ lemons, about 1 ½ teaspoon of maple syrup/runny honey, some dried mint and sea salt, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and add 2-3 tablespoons of nut milk if it is not runny enough.
Roasted Buckwheat with Vegetables – Vegan Kasha Recipe
Ingredients
Buckwheat:
- 1 cup buckwheat groats 200 g/ 7 oz, Notes 1 and 2
- 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth 350 ml
Vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium onions about 150 g/ 5.5 oz
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 bell peppers
- 1 leek about 120 g/ 4 oz, Note 3
- 15 cherry tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼-½ teaspoon hot chili flakes to taste
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 cup vegetable broth 250 ml
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Carrot and yogurt sauce:
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 cup dairy-free yogurt 250 g, Note 4
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 ½ teaspoon runny maple agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon dried mint
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Vegetables:
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop the onions finely. Chop the garlic as well. Cut the peppers into thin strips. Halve the leeks lengthwise, if very thick, and cut the halves into thin half rounds. Set aside.2 medium onions + 2 garlic cloves + 2 bell peppers + 1 leek
- Cook buckwheat: In the meantime, bring the vegetable stock used for cooking the buckwheat groats to a boil. When the liquid boils, add the rinsed buckwheat groats, cover the saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer on low heat until done to your liking. 1 cup buckwheat groats/ 200 g + 1 ¾ cups vegetable broth/ 350 ml
- Cooking time: Check the buckwheat's package instructions regarding the cooking times; they can differ from pack to pack and sometimes a lot. Check the buckwheat 2-3 minutes earlier than indicated on the package, just to make sure you don't overcook it. It should be soft but still have a good bite. Mushy buckwheat is not so good.
- Cook vegetables: Heat the oil in a larger and deeper pan. Cook the onions for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and leeks. Stir well and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until slightly softer.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add spices: In the meantime, halve the cherry tomatoes. Add them to the pan together with the smoked and sweet paprika powder, turmeric, chili flakes, lemon juice, and vegetable broth.15 cherry tomatoes + ½ teaspoon smoked paprika powder + 1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder + ½ teaspoon turmeric + ¼-½ teaspoon hot chili flakes + juice from 1 lemon + 1 cup vegetable broth/ 250 ml
- Simmer vegetables: Cover, turn the heat down to medium-low, and cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until done to your liking.
- Add the cooked kasha to the vegetable pan and stir well but carefully.
- Adjust the taste generously with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the remaining lemon juice.fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Carrot and yogurt sauce:
- Grate the peeled carrots on the larger box grater. Place them in a bowl.2 medium carrots
- Add the yogurt, lemon juice, honey, dried mint, sea salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add a few tablespoons of nut milk to give it a runnier consistency, if desired. Adjust the taste again and serve. 1 cup dairy-free yogurt/ 250 g + juice of ½ lemon + 1 ½ teaspoon runny maple + 1 teaspoon dried mint + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Notes
- Measurements: Either use grams and milliliters together to weigh the buckwheat groats and vegetable broth or only cups; do not mix the two measuring methods together. 200 g buckwheat groats are slightly less than 1 cup.
- Check the buckwheat's package instructions regarding the cooking times; they can differ from pack to pack and sometimes a lot. Check the buckwheat 2-3 minutes earlier than indicated on the package, just to make sure you don't overcook it. It should be soft but still have a good bite. Mushy buckwheat is not so good.
- Leeks: I indicate the gram/oz quantity because leeks can come in very different sizes.
- Dairy: You can use Greek yogurt and honey if not cooking vegan.
Barbara says
Can you freeze the leftovers?
Adina says
Hi Barbara. I suppose you can, but I never did, so I can't say for sure.
Helen says
Easy to make and delicious. I served it with broccoli on the side
Ella says
My husband loved this recipe. Thank you
Adina says
Thank you for the feedback, Ella.
olga says
awasome! i ve found parboiled buckwheat Grechka http://www.grechka.co.uk
This is real Russian buckwheat, not polish or chinese tastes much better
Tikva Haham says
After I rinse the grain a break an egg mix with the groats ad one tbspon oil in a pan and roast 5min ad the boiling water and cook until is ready serve with a stew or roast souses
Adina says
It sounds great!
Helen Gillespie says
This states it is vegan: the uses of Greek yogurt and honey mean it clearly isn’t. Please change to dairy free yogurt and agave or maple syrup
Adina says
Hi Helen. The dish itself is vegan, only the serving suggestion is not. But you're right, I will change that to make it clearer.
Charlie says
Thank you for this fantastic recipe. Buckwheat has such a strong taste that it's difficult to know what to cook it with but it combines with the vegetables perfectly.
Adina says
Hi Charlie. Thank you for your comment. I am happy you liked the recipe.
Pohudet.Guru says
Add all chopped vegetables and the chickpeas to the kasha. Mix the lemon juice and remaining ingredients well and add them to the kasha, stirring so that the dressing is distributed evenly. Serve mounded in the center of a large platter, with butternut lettuce leaves. To eat, spoon some of the salad into a lettuce leaf and eat like a taco or burrito.
Adina says
Sounds good, love the salad leaf burrito idea. Thank you.?
Diets.Guru says
I decided to do something a little nontraditional with my medium-grain kasha and used it instead of bulgur wheat in a salad called kisir, the Turkish form of tabouli. But then I had trouble. I couldn t find the Turkish hot pepper paste that most kisir recipes call for, so I used Sambal Oelek chili paste instead. And though I was eager to use my pomegranate molasses in the dressing, when I took it from the refrigerator door, I found it had turned into a pomegranate rock and I had to use agave nectar instead.
Adina says
Kisir with kasha sounds good, I've made a similar sweet and sour buckwheat salad a few weeks ago. Try putting the bottle or jar of pomegranate molasses in a pot of warm water, maybe it will become pourable again.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
I've never had buckwheat before. I'll need to look for it in the store. This looks like a delicious, hearty dish.
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Adina, this Kasha would make the perfect meal! I love the texture of the buckwheat and all the veggies! Looks delicious!
allie says
ADINA!!!! Had no idea buckwheat is gluten free. I learn so much here. This is very important for me because my littlest guy Hudson (Down syndrome and autism) is suffering from a lot of gut issues and we have been at the GI dr. a good bit lately. We are moving towards a gluten free diet for him, and he has lots of sensory issues related to food. So he eats next to nothing. But one thing he dearly loves is pancakes. I am sure he would eat buckwheat pancakes and be none the wiser. This is wonderful information. Thank you so much! Your vegetable dish also looks delicious. Cheers. XO
Evi says
Love the combo of roasted buckwheat and all these yummy veggies! I bet that smoked paprika makes this dish especially amazing 🙂
Mimi says
Whoah. This brings back memories! Back in college in California, during the dark ages, it was buckwheat everything! And I wasn’t that fond of the taste. Although I do like mixing buckwheat flour in with a whole-grain pancake mix. But boy has it been a long time... I do you the whole idea of the dish, plus that sauce is spectacular!
angiesrecipes says
This makes such a healthy weekday lunch! I need to visit Russia store to get some roasted buckwheat to try too.