It was always a good day when I would come home from school and smell the scent of stew that my mom had been simmering in the kitchen for hours. The scent, even now, is like a warm hug, but I no longer eat meat, so I had to figure out a way to pay homage with a vegan take on the dish. Mushrooms are the new beef! Seriously, they’re clean protein and they’re hearty. Have you ever had a portobello burger? DELICIOUS!
So, I swapped beef with mushrooms and beef broth with veggie broth. Added all the traditional vegetables and voila! Vegan Stew was born.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cremini mushrooms
1 TBSP EVOO
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, thinly sliced (I think the Spanish onion has the best flavor)
6 oz of tomato paste
32oz low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups green beans
3 white potatoes, cubed
1 1/12 cups of peas
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (if you like it spicy, add more… I do!)
PREPARATION:
Heat the EVOO in a large stock pot over medium heat. Sautee onion and garlic. Add tomato paste and broth, stir continuously for 1 minute. Let boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat, then add carrots and potatoes, green beans, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and red pepper flakes, salt & pepper to taste. Add 1/2 cup water and cover. Cook for another 45 minutes on low heat. Lastly, add the mushrooms and peas; allowing to heat through. Remove bay leaf and rosemary before serving.
If you’re feeling a bit saucy, you can add a splash of red wine into your broth mixture. Also, if your stew seems too thick, you can add some water until it’s the consistency that you’d like.
