Ragu is Ovoshej - Russian Root Vegetable Stew

     Welcome to the November edition of Soup Saturday Swappers! This time around the theme is From the Root Cellar as we work with all things root vegetables. For this event I went with a Russian classic that I think should be a classic all over! It was so simple, so delicious, and the ingredients are cheap and easy to source. I knew it was a dish my family would enjoy, but I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as we did. The flavors of the turnips and parsnips with the richness of the tomatoes and butter was delightful.

     This recipe is called Ragu is Ovoshej, and is stewed root vegetables. I looked up the recipe in English and only got one version of the recipe. Lookin up Рагу Из Овощей, the same thing but in Cyrillic, yielded more variety in the dish. Which really is an anything does vegetable stew. It's typically finished with lots of butter and eaten as a meatless entrée with a crusty dark bread. I went with mostly all root veggie, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and onions. But other veggies such as potatoes, eggplant, celeriac, and zucchini are also very common. Really, use what you have on hand. 

     Have other great root veggies on hand? Check out these other great recipes from some other great bloggers sharing for Soup Saturday Swappers. 

• Autumn Soup with Freshly Dug Potatoes and Prawns by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Carrot and Ginger Soup by Magical Ingredients
• Colombian Chicken and Potato Soup (Ajiaco) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Creamy French Red Lentil Soup with Ham Stock by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Danish Potato Soup by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Potato & Radish Dahi Kadhi by Sneha's Recipe
• Puree of Celery Root Soup by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Russian Ragu Iz Ovoshej by Pandemonium Noshery
• Sausage, Potato and Sauerkraut Soup by Palatable Pastime
• Savory Root Vegetable Soup by Making Miracles

Ragu is Oveshej

1 lb. turnips

1 lb. parsnips

1 lb. carrots

2 onions, diced

2 large tomatoes

1 green onion

2 Tbsp. oil

2 Tbsp. butter

1 c. water

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt an pepper to taste

Peel and dice the turnips and carrots. Peel the turnips and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the hard, woody, center, and chop. 

Chop one of the tomatoes and grate the other. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet, I prefer cast iron. Add the turnips, parsnips, carrots, onion, and a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are fairly soft. Add the green pepper, chopped and the grated tomato and continue cooking. Cook, stirring often to keep anything from sticking. Keep cooking until the tomatoes start to break down. 

Add the water, pepper to taste, and parsley. Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are very tender. Remove the lid and add the butter. Stir really well to combine, this step will also break down the vegetables some creating a silky, starchy, sauce. 

Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve with dill on the side.