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A styled editorial food photograph in square format. A wide, shallow off-white speckled stoneware bowl on a warm oak wooden surface holds the Baltic Bowl: a base of earthy buckwheat topped with roasted broccoli florets, golden-edged carrot rounds, charred yellow and red bell pepper strips, and plump white beans. A swoosh of pale creamy dill cashew sauce runs across the centre, garnished with fresh dill and toasted sunflower seeds. A halved lemon sits on the rim. A folded beige linen napkin and matte silver fork rest to the left. Soft natural light enters from the upper left, casting gentle warm shadows. Shallow depth of field blurs the white ceramic jug in the background.
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Baltic Bowl

A smoky, hearty bowl rooted in ancient Baltic grain traditions — fluffy buckwheat and crispy white beans meet a rainbow of oven-roasted vegetables, all crowned with a cloud of silky dill cashew cream. Simple to make, impossible to forget.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latvian, Lithuanian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword Buckwheat
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 776kcal
Author Nemotron 3 Super

Equipment

  • Large pot with lid
  • Medium saucepan with lid
  • Large baking tray- Baking paper
  • 2–3 mixing bowls
  • Chef's knife & cutting board
  • sieve
  • measuring cups and spoons
  • Immersion blender or small blender
  • Wooden spoon or spatula

Ingredients

Smoky buckwheat base

  • 240 g buckwheat groats
  • 480 ml water
  • 1 cube vegetable broth or 2 tsp vegetable broth powder
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Roasted vegetables & beans

  • 2 medium onions peeled and cut into thin wedges
  • 2 red or yellow bell peppers deseeded and cut into 2 cm strips
  • 2 medium carrots scrubbed and cut into 1 cm half-moons
  • 1 small broccoli head approx. 300 g, cut into small florets; stalk peeled and sliced 0.5 cm
  • 1 can large white beans 400 g, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ½ tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Dill "sour cream" sauce

  • 120 g cashews soaked 15 min in hot water, then drained
  • 160 ml soy milk or almond milk unsweetened
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp white balsamic or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp mild mustard
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill or 1–2 tsp dried dill

Smoky sunflower crunch

  • 40 g sunflower seeds
  • 1 tsp rapeseed or olive oil
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Soak the cashews. Place cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water. Leave to soak while you prep everything else (10–15 minutes). This gives your sauce a silky smooth texture.
  • Rinse and toast the buckwheat. Place buckwheat in a sieve and rinse under cold running water until it runs clear. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the buckwheat and toast for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until nutty and fragrant.
  • Cook the buckwheat. Add 480 ml water, broth powder or cube, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes until tender and water is absorbed. Turn off heat and leave covered for 5–10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
  • Preheat oven to 200 °C (top/bottom heat) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  • Prep the vegetables. Peel onions, halve from root to tip and slice into thin wedges. Remove seeds and stem from bell peppers, cut into 2 cm strips. Scrub carrots, trim ends, slice into 1 cm half-moons. Cut broccoli into bite-size florets; peel the thick stalk and slice into 0.5 cm coins — don't waste it, it roasts beautifully.
  • Season and roast. Add all vegetables and drained white beans to the baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil and vinegar, sprinkle over paprika, thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss directly on the tray until everything is well coated and spread in an even layer. Roast for 20–25 minutes, tossing once halfway, until tender and golden at the edges.
  • Make the dill cream. Drain the soaked cashews. Blend cashews, plant milk, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, garlic powder and salt until completely smooth. Add a splash more plant milk if needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency. Stir in the dill and taste — adjust salt and lemon to your liking.
  • Toast the sunflower seeds. Mix sunflower seeds with oil, smoked paprika and a pinch of salt. Spread on a small corner of the vegetable tray for the last 5–7 minutes of roasting, or toast in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden and fragrant.
  • Assemble. Divide the buckwheat between 4 bowls. Top with a generous portion of roasted vegetables and beans. Spoon 2–3 tbsp of dill cream over each bowl in soft ribbons. Finish with a sprinkle of smoky sunflower seeds, a grind of black pepper and a lemon wedge on the side.

Notes

Serving suggestions:
- Serve alongside a simple green salad — lettuce, thinly sliced cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- For a heartier meal, add a slice of toasted sourdough in the oven during the last few minutes of roasting.
- Leftovers keep well for 2–3 days. Store components separately and reassemble with fresh sauce and seeds.
 
Drinks:
- 🍺 Alcoholic — Lithuanian Dark Lager: A malty Baltic dark beer like Švyturys Ekstra Dark or Utenos Tamsus (available in well-stocked German supermarkets or bottle shops) complements the smoky buckwheat and roasted vegetables beautifully, while echoing the dish's Baltic roots. Serve chilled in a tall glass.
 
- 🍋 Alcohol-free — Sparkling Dill Lemonade: Fill a large glass with ice and sparkling water, add 2–3 thin cucumber slices, a squeeze of fresh lemon and a small sprig of fresh dill. It mirrors the herby, bright flavours of the dill cream, cleanses the palate between bites, and takes about 30 seconds to make.
 
Allergens:
  • Tree nuts (cashews): To make nut-free: replace cashews with sunflower seeds and blend as above
  • Soya (if soy milk used)
  • Mustard
  • May contain Celery depending on the vegetable broth used — always check the label.
 
Emission Hotspots:
  • Cashews are the highest-footprint ingredient in this recipe, driven by their energy-intensive multi-stage processing and long intercontinental supply chains — swap for EU-grown sunflower seeds to reduce this further without any noticeable change to the sauce.
  • While canned beans are convenient, they carry a higher environmental cost than their dried counterparts.
  • Shop to home transportation, if a combustion car is used
 
Sustainability tips:
  • Use the entire broccoli — peel the stalk and roast it alongside the florets.
  • Leftovers keep for 2–3 days; the buckwheat also works cold as a grain salad base.
  • Broccoli leaves, carrot greens and bell pepper off-cuts make excellent guinea pig snacks. 🐹
  • Buckwheat has a significantly lower footprint than rice — good choice.
  • Buy carrots, broccoli and onions locally grown when in season in Germany (spring through autumn).
  • Keep the saucepan lid on while the buckwheat cooks, and turn off the hob 2–3 minutes early.
  • Use the hot oven efficiently — toast seeds or roast extra vegetables for tomorrow's lunch at the same time.
  • Compost all scraps.
  • Walk to the supermarket.
  • Walk or bike to the supermarket and farmer's market to cut transportation emissions