Paprikash Lightens Up With Veggies

My mother is a great cook, and she learned from her mother. I can still taste my grandmother’s hearty Russian dishes. I remember being shorter than the tabletop and looking up to see piles of fresh vegetables that she had just picked from the huge garden in back of her house in upstate New York.

One of the dishes I most fondly remember is a stew made with cabbage, carrots, potatoes and paprika. Grandmother made it with chicken fat and fresh dairy cream; I remember tasting it for up to three days after eating it.

I’ve taken the liberty of lightening it for vegetarians. You can use traditional cow’s milk or soy, rice or oat milk for the liquid. Traditionally, yogurt is stirred in at the end as a thickener. But I let the potatoes thicken the dish and use plain fat-free yogurt as garnish. (You may also opt for sour cream or low-fat sour cream, if your diet allows - or, if you can stand the taste, nondairy sour cream.)

You may use any vegetables in this one-pot hodgepodge, but always place the harder vegetables in the pot first so they cook longer and come out tender. Serve Garden Paprikash over wide noodles or rice. When I’m feeling industrious, I make my own spaetzle or egg dumplings, but that’s a recipe for another day.

Garden Paprikash

2 teaspoons canola or olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup peeled and diced potatoes

2 cups diced cabbage

1 cup seeded and diced green bell peppers

1 cup seeded and diced red bell peppers

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1-1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cups tomato juice

2 cups 2 percent, soy, rice or oat milk

1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt, for garnish, optional

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, for garnish, optional

In a large heavy nonreactive saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, potatoes and cabbage. Saute 2 minutes.

Add the peppers, tomato paste, paprika, garlic, caraway seeds and cayenne pepper. Saute 2 minutes, stirring well, until tomato paste begins to turn light brown.

Add the tomato juice and milk; stir to combine well. Simmer about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and sauce is thickened. Serve garnished with yogurt and dill, if desired.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 186 calories, 11 grams protein, 6 grams fat (29 percent fat calories), 27 grams carbohydrate, 6 milligrams cholesterol, 518 milligrams sodium.