Vegan mushroom stew over mashed potatoes.

One day, a few months ago, I was on the hunt for a rich stew recipe that would be hearty and filling for the chilly day that was upon us. I stumbled upon this recipe from Crowded Kitchen that is beyond fabulous and over time, took some further inspiration from this recipe and my own version was born. This recipe is quite forgiving and adaptable using the ingredients you have on hand. It’s rich and depth of flavor will convert even the staunchest carnivore. Let’s get started.

Ingredients:

2 tbl of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic (or more if you prefer) smashed and roughly chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 tbl liquid aminos
2 lbs of mushrooms, roughly chopped
S&P
1 tbl dried rosemary or 1 tsp of fresh finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 cup of dried brown lentils, rinsed and drained
3 cups of veg broth
1 cup of red wine
2 tbl tomato paste
1 tbl Cornstarch

Method:

Into a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and carefully add the onion and carrots. Cook for about 7 minutes and then add your garlic. Stirring often, cook that for an additional 1-2 minutes. Then add your aminos, mushrooms, S&P and spices. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Then add your liquids and paste. Stir to combine and bring that to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 22 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through. At this point I ladle out about 1/3 cup of the broth into a small bowl and add the cornstarch. Whisk vigorously until that’s completely dissolved. Pour that mixture back into the pot and stir. I cover and let this simmer over very low heat until I’m ready to serve. It should be thick and rich.

You can serve this over roasted potatoes, pasta or mashed potatoes.

Mashed potatoes:
6 medium sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed and cut into large pieces
2 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
3 tbl of vegan butter
S&P
Cooking water

Method:
After washing and chopping the potatoes add them to a pot of boiling water with a few good pinches of salt- carefully. Cook until fork tender about 7-8 minutes. I like to reserve about 1/3 cup of the cooking water and add that to a large mixing bowl with the butter and minced raw garlic. Using a potato ricer, I’m using one similar to this one, and rice the potatoes into your mixing bowl. Stir to combine and adjust the seasoning.