Vegan Tsimmes

As may be clear from many of my posts, I am not vegan, yet I have numerous friends who are vegetarian or vegan. So when I made this dish and it was more phenomenal than I had even anticipated, I knew I had to share, and highlight that it’s vegan!

We had already made the brisket ahead of time – as we always do – for Erev Rosh Hashanah dinner, and I was poking around to decide what vegetable I would serve with it. I had three enormous carrots and a huge leek from our Woven Roots Farm CSA share; I also had three containers of dried fruit that were merely remnants from other recipes: 6 prunes, 3 dates, and a few tablespoons of dried cherries.

Many recipes for tsimmes describe a braise with beef, carrots, and prunes, and variations thereof, although there are plenty of vegetarian versions. To celebrate apples and honey, which symbolize the holiday, I decided to use apple cider for the liquid (as opposed to water or broth, whether chicken or vegetable), and to use honey for the sweetener.

This side dish will definitely become a fixture on our table, regardless of the season!

Vegan Tsimmes

Serves 4-6

Served with brisket and noodle kugel soufflé

• 1 large leek

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3 huge carrots, or 5 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 10 ounces butternut squash, peeled and cut into large chunks (or buy pre-cut)

• ⅔ cup fresh apple cider, plus more if needed

• Dried fruit – I used: 3 Tablespoons dried cherries, 3 dates, pitted and cut into quarters, 6 prunes cut in halves or quarters depending on size; use an equivalent amount of whatever you prefer!

• 3 Tablespoons honey

• 2 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses

• ¼ teaspoon Penzey’s Pie Spice, or ⅛ teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg

• ⅛ teaspoon French four spice, or a generous pinch each of fresh ground pepper and ground ginger

• 2 apples, cored and cut into chunks

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Leeks can hide soil between layers, so it is important to clean them well. Cut the leek lengthwise and examine for any trapped dirt or dust. If necessary, rinse those sections under cold running water and pat dry. Discard the root end, and slice the leek halves into thin half-moons, cutting all of the white portion and as much of the light green as possible. Do not use the tough, dark green portions.

In a heavy, lidded Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering and fragrant. Add the leeks and salt, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the leeks become soft and translucent. Add the carrots, sweet potato, and squash, and stir to combine. Add the cider, dried fruit, honey, pomegranate molasses, and spices. Stir to combine.

Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, checking from time to time, and adding more cider or some water if too much of the liquid has evaporated. (I used a Staub Dutch oven which has a specially designed top to prevent too much liquid from evaporating, but I would guess with another pot a bit more liquid may be needed.)

After 30 minutes, the sweet potatoes and squash should be quite soft and will sort of hold the carrot and fruit pieces together. Add the chopped apples and cook for 10 minutes more. The apple will have fully softened and begun to disintegrate. Stir to combine everything and serve hot.