Winter Stew

Stew. I needed it. It is brutally cold here, and the only solution is a thick, hearty, delicious stew. I was introduced to a similar stew when I visited a friend a few weeks ago, and I pretty much turned into a vegan piggy when I ate it. Thus, I knew I would have to try my hand at it when I got home. The stew is based originally on the Cholent recipe in Veganomicon, sorry I can't remember the page, and I am far too lazy to get up and find it. Haha. C'mon, it's early morning. Cut me some slack. I am unaccustomed to blogging so early!

I suppose you could really add in any veggies and this stew would work. Also, I used some frozen veg, but only lima beans and peas. The other veggies were fresh. I'm not generally a fan of frozen veg, but I do often use frozen peas and corn in dishes (never alone). So, there you go. Do whatever you want. I do recommend that you eat the stew with some nice hearty bread. Mega yum.

This is enough for 3 large bowls, but you can do maths to figure out a larger batch.

Ingredients:

• 1 8-oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 small potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 small carrots, peeled, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1/2 onion, cut to your liking
• 1/3 cup TVP (I used the granules because I can't find the chunks)
• 1/2 cup dried lentils
• 1 cup or so of cooked chickpeas (I had some that needed using, so I threw them in)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1/8 tsp or less fennel
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2-3 tsp Braggs liquid aminos

Method: 

1. Get a dutch oven or large soup pot out and heat over medium temperature. Add the oil. When hot, add in the onion and the spices. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes. Then add your garlic. Cook 2 minutes.
2. Add in the other ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Check the doneness of the potato and carrots and the seasoning. Turn to low and simmer about 10 minutes more. In the last few minutes, I removed the lid and let it thicken up a bit more. 

See! So easy and tasty. Your tummy will thank you!