Hearty Vegetable Stew

Easy recipes—that's me. This recipe came into my email inbox from Veronica Grace, vegan chef and photographer, over on Forks Over Knives. I recommend you get on their email list for great health information and recipes.

If you haven't seen the documentary film, Forks Over Knives, I recommend you do. Backed by information from the famous China Study, it asserts that virtually all disease can be averted, controlled or even reversed by eliminating animal-based and processed foods from our diet. In addition, the film shows food as medicine put to the test.

Crockpot Directions

I made this stew on the stovetop, but you can also use a crockpot. If you do, slice the yam (rather than cube it) or it will become too soft. Add the veggies to the crockpot in the following order: carrots, potatoes, beets/turnips, yam, celery and onions. Blend the tomatoes, seasoning and dates and pour over top. No broth needed.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 5 hours. Test the potatoes to doneness. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Hearty Vegetable Stew

From Veronica Grace (Forks Over Knives)

Yield 6 servings

Category Soup

Cuisine Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free

Ingredients

1 oniom, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

10 baby potatoes quartered or 2 med. potatoes cubed

1 yam, cubed

2 golden beets or turnips

3 carrots, chopped

3 stalks of celery, chopped

1 onion, diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 C of low-sodium vegetable broth

8 fresh tomatoes or 28 oz can of tomatoes

6 dates soaked in a bit of water

1 tsp cumin

2 tsp of Italian (or favorite) herb mix

1 tsp smoked paprika

salt & pepper to taste

Stove Top Directions

1. Saute onions and garlic in 1 cup of vegetable broth over medium heat in large pot while you chop the remaining veggies.

2. Cut potatoes, beets (or turnips) smaller than yams because they take longer to cook.

3. Add veggies to pot. Add remaining 3 cups of veggie broth. Should almost cover all the veggies.

4. Blend tomatoes, seasonings and dates in blender, then add to pot.

5. Cover and bring to boil. Then reduce heat to medium and cook for 45-55 minutes--until the potatoes and beets/turnips are soft.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Use a potato masher to mash about 1/4 of the soup to thicken it and make it into a chunky stew. Serve.

Now doesn't that sound easy? What's your favorite spice blend? I've got several.