Plant-based

Aaron Brunet takes the pork out of a Slovenian winter staple

This may be my signature recipe and after making it for years I’ve evolved it to a point I think is worth sharing again. The original Yotta is a traditional family favourite based on what my grandparents grew and stored over winter in Slovenia — beans, sauerkraut and pork. When I shared some photos of a vegan version on Instagram earlier this year, a helpful cousin over there suggested adding something smoky to round out the flavour. He was so right of course. Luckily smoke essence is now available at specialty food shops, and you only need a tiny amount to make a big difference: one bottle lasts literally for years. Measure it carefully away from the pot so you don’t risk spilling it in and ruining the meal. My other happy discovery is the Massel range of vegan stocks, including chicken and beef style. The name fooled me until I read the ingredients and I find the “beef” one brilliant in this soup (it’s available in supermarkets). What I really love with Yotta is how the tang of the sauerkraut cuts through the richness of the beans, potato and roux (a thickening made from oil and flour, fried until golden brown). As will most soups, if you make it a day ahead the flavours develop and meld even more. If you want to jazz up the look a bit you can cook some carefully cubed

potato with more sauerkraut and use it as a garnish just before serving — the acidity keeps even floury potatoes like agria totally intact when cooked and they look pretty in the bowl.

Vegan yotta soup

Serves 8

3 Tbsp coconut oil

2 onions, finely chopped

1 stick celery with leaves, finely diced

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2x400g cans kidney beans, with their juice 2 small potatoes, chopped

8 cups stock (8 cups water + 6 tsp Massel “beef

style” vegan stock powder)

¼ tsp smoke essence (available at fancy food

shops)

2 packed cups sauerkraut (300g) For the roux

4 Tbsp olive oil (60g) 3 Tbsp plain flour (30g) Gremolata

½ cup curly parsley, finely chopped 1 tsp lemon zest, finely grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped (optional) 1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Heat the coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, celery, garlic and pepper. Saute about 5 minutes until softened. Add the beans with all their juices, potato, stock and smoke essence. Simmer for 15 minutes then gently mash to meld ingredients. Add the sauerkraut and simmer a further 45 minutes.

2 For the roux, heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the flour and stir frequently until it is well browned and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Add carefully to the soup, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Simmer another 5 minutes to cook. Ideally the soup will be rich, but not as thick as a stew. If it’s too thick, you can add more vegetable stock to adjust the consistency. Taste and add extra salt and pepper to suit — some sauerkraut is saltier than others so it’s good to adjust at the end. You can also add a little extra stock powder if you want to really crank it up. 3 To make gremolata, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve soup with a spoonful of gremolata on top and crusty sourdough alongside.