Southwest stew

Adapted from Straight Up Food Blog

This is one of those dishes that will go on regular rotation for those who like to cook in batches. It is one of the tastiest vegan low-fat dishes we’ve made and a favourite when we look through our freezer.

The calorie count is quite low for the volume of this dish and makes for a filling lunch or dinner for 5 people; or a light starter for 8.

Time

1 hour total: 35 minutes attended, 25 minutes unattended

Storage notes

Fridge for 5 days; freezer for 6 months.

Difficulty

easy

Yield

4000 g (servings 5 –8)

Ingredients

Weight

Volume

Procedure

Cumin seed

4.8 g

2 tsp

Coriander seed

2.4 g

2 tsp

Caraway seed (optional)

2 g

1 tsp

Fenugreek seed (optional)

1.8 g

½ tsp

Dry fry over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. (Alternatively, roast in the oven at 170°C / 338°F for 15 minutes.)

Grind. Set aside for C.

Onion, chopped

280 g

2 cups

Capsicum, red; seeded and chopped

250 g

1 cup

Mushrooms (white, cremini or shiitake); sliced

150 g

2½ cups

Olive oil (optional)

4 g

1 tsp

Toss together in a mixing bowl to coat with oil, if using.

Add to a large saucepan or small stock pot over medium-high heat and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. (If not using oil, add small amounts of water as required to prevent sticking.)

Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 10 minutes, stirring once only.

Vegetable stock

1000 g

4 cups

Smoked paprika

2.3 g

1 tsp

Onion powder

2.3 g

1 tsp

Chilli powder, mild

2 g

1 tsp

Celery salt

1.8 g

½ tsp

Garlic powder

1.4 g

½ tsp

Black pepper, ground

0.9 g

½ tsp

Cayenne pepper (optional)

0.2 g

⅛ tsp

Oregano, dried

3.2 g

2 tsp

Parsley, dried (optional)

0.9 g

1 tsp

Basil, dried (optional)

0.9 g

1 tsp

Roasted spices from A

Add to pot and stir to combine.

Increase heat to bring to boil.

Potato, cut into ½" / 12 mm pieces

225 g

1 cup

Sweet potato, cut into ½" / 12 mm pieces

120 g

½ cup

Carrot, chopped

120 g

½ cup

Parsnip, chopped

120 g

½ cup

Tomato paste

80 g

⅓ cup

Black beans, canned (include liquid)

400 g

15 oz

Pinto beans, canned (include liquid)

400 g

15 oz

Tomatoes, diced or chopped, canned, (include juices)

400 g

15 oz

Salt

12 g

2 tsp

Add to pot and stir to combine.

Bring to boil.

Reduce heat and cover to cook until potatoes are tender, but not completely cooked, about 16 minutes.

Spinach leaves; coarsely chopped

120 g

4 cups

Tofu, diced

250 g

1 block

Corn kernels (canned or frozen)

250 g

1½ cup

Add to pot and stir to combine.

Cover and cook until leaves have fully wilted, about 4 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Coriander (cilantro) leaves; chopped

22 g

1½ cups, loosely packed

Black pepper

to taste

Add to pot and stir to combine.

Adapted: 2017.

Notes

You can use water in place of stock.

Any type of dark, leafy greens are suitable in D; however, tougher varieties such as kale and collard greens may take longer to cook, so reduce the time in D by 5 minutes and increase the time in E by 5 minutes.

For more dark leafy greens goodness, increase the spinach in E to 225 g. The leaves shrink dramatically during the cooking and blend well in this dish.

If freezing the disk, baby spinach leaves can take on a slimey texture. One technique worth trying is to purée the tofu and spinach with one cup of the vegetable mixture. This should retain all the goodness of the spinach without the imact on texture. It will thicken the stew nicely, also.

Making ahead

Prepare the onion, capsicum and mushrooms and store in an air-tight container.

Prepare and combine the spices in a small air-tight container.

Food pairings

Garnish with additional coriander (cilantro) leaves and some chopped avocado (optional).

Nutrition

Serving size 800 g; calories 382.3 kcal, kilojoules 1599.8 kJ, protein 19.6 g, carbohydrates 52.3 g, sugar 15.2 g, fat 5.7 g, saturated fat 0.9 g, unsaturated fat 3.2 g, trans fat 0 g, fiber 17.9 g, cholesterol 0 mg,

Type stew soup

Author bhsimon

Yield

Servings

–

Serving size 500–800 g

Serve	Per serve
Energy (kcal)	382.3
Energy (kJ)	1599.8
Protein (g)	19.6
Fat (g)	5.7
Carbs (g)	52.3
Sugars (g)	15.2
Fiber (g)	17.9
Sodium (mg)	1600.2
Cholesterol (mg)	0

Full details