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bowl with vegan kasha recipe with lots of vegetables and a fork sticking into it.
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4.50 from 24 votes

Vegetable Buckwheat or Kasha Recipe

This delicious kasha recipe, or buckwheat with vegetables, is easy to make and spicy. You can serve it with a refreshing yogurt and carrot sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Russian
Diet: Vegan
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 233kcal
Author: Adina

Ingredients

Buckwheat:

  • 1 cup buckwheat groats Notes 1 and 2
  • 1¾ cups vegetable broth

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
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Carrot and yogurt sauce:

  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 cup dairy-free yogurt Note 4
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 ½ teaspoon runny maple or agave syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dried mint
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
US - EU

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 + 1¾ cups vegetable broth
  • 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
  • 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 + juice of ½ lemon + 1 ½ teaspoon runny maple + 1 teaspoon dried mint + fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Notes

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Leeks: I indicate the gram/oz quantity because leeks can come in very different sizes. 
  4. Dairy: You can use Greek yogurt and honey if not cooking vegan.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 of the dish | Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 1088mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 13g