The cold weather is a time for soups, stews, and hot meals that can stave away the frigid chill of Old Man Winter. You can get away with sipping steamy teas and hot chocolate all day by the fire in the attempt to warm your body. Stews have been made since ancient times with the world's oldest known evidence of stew being found in Japan, dating to the Jōmon period.
Most stews use meat and other animal products, but you can make your own equally hearty vegan stew with mushrooms potatoes and other vegetables. Try the recipe for this vegetable stew I made to survive the winter months and savor the taste of a warm hug in a bowl.
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 cup sliced carrot
1 cup sliced celery
16 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, halved
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
16 oz. baby yellow potatoes, halved
1 cup lentils
4 cups vegetable broth
Kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onion, carrot, and celery along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally for 8 minutes.
Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, oregano, sage, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
Add flour and stir to evenly coat everything. Cook, stirring frequently for 1 minute.
Stir in balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to deglaze the pan
Add potatoes, lentils and broth along with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally so that the lentils don't stick to the pan.
Turn heat to low and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.