Loxosceles

The other day I was going to make a spicy lentil stew, and I didn't have any lentils. It's kind of silly to drive to the grocery store just for a bag of lentils, right?

So that's how I got to searching for non-lentil soup recipes, figuring I'd gather the provisions for several stews at once. I ended up making Farmhouse Stew, which is some vegan's idea of what beef stew would taste like if beef wasn't made of cows.

I'm not normally a fan of fake meat, but this stew is so good that, well, you're reading it. Even my carnivorous husband liked it. It's hearty and thick, with tender carrots, potatoes, and mushrooms. The broth is flavored with tamari and tahini. Put these both on your grocery list. You'll use the tahini later, for hummus, so stock up on chickpeas too.

My only additions were a little salt and thyme; I also subbed a few slices of curry-flavored Susie's Seitan for the seitan chunks they recommend.

Serves 4
”Old-fashioned beef-stew flavor with a newfangled twist—no beef!”
This recipe is from The Vegan Sourcebook by Joanne Stepaniak.

• 4 cups diced potatoes (thin-skinned or peeled)
• 4 large carrots, sliced in half lengthwise and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 2 cups seitan chunks
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes, carrots, broth or water, celery, and bay leaves in a 4 1/2-quart saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

1. Meanwhile, place the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes or until almost tender. Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté, stirring often, until tender, about 4 to 6 minutes longer.

1. Remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the flour and mix well. Then stir in the tahini and mix well. Gradually stir in the 1/2 cup water and tamari, and mix vigorously until the sauce is smooth. Stir this mixture into the hot cooked vegetables and their liquid and mix well.

1. Stir in the seitan and bring the stew to a boil, stirring almost constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to stir and simmer the stew just until the sauce thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.