No ‘beef’ Stew

Now the weather is getting colder and the days darker and longer, nothing beats a hearty stew like this one.

The ‘beef’ has been replaced with chunky pieces of both Chestnut & Shiitaki mushrooms, giving it that hearty texture and earthy flavour.

Here is how to make it for yourself!

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup of white cabbage, finely sliced
2 cups of washed baby potatoes (if large, slice in half)
2 celery sticks, sliced
1 tsp truffle oil
3 cups of mushrooms (any variety you like however I used both chestnut and shiitaki), halved
1 cup of butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 cup lentil or beans of your choice (I used PUY lentils for this dish) *PLANT-BASED PROTEIN ALERT!
1 large sprig of Rosemary
1 large sprig of Thyme
3 cups of vegetable stock (home-made or use 2 vegetable stock pots with 2 cups of water)
2 Bay leaves
2 tbsp white or red wine vinegar
1 tsp marmite or 1 tbsp miso paste or 2 tbsp tamari
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced (optional)
1 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp gluten free flour (or plain flour is you wish) mixed with cold water to form a smooth paste
Black pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste (when the stew is made, taste it and then add more salt if needed as you are already adding stock and miso/marmite which are all already salty).

Method

1. In a large pot add the truffle oil and gently start to saute the cabbage, celery and chilli, for about 10 minutes

2. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes

3. Add all the other veggies including potatoes and herbs, mix for 5 minutes

4. Add the stock along with the vinegar, tomato puree and flour mix, stir and turn heat down and let it cook slowly for 30 minutes

5. Add the salty condiment (miso, marmite or tamari) along with black pepper and mix

6. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes until ready (test all the veggies to make sure they are cooked)

7. Serve this dish with some chunky warm bread and a green leaf salad