Its scent alone comforts us. They are ideal for cold weather, enough for a meal and very complete nutritionally: proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals… to eat with a spoon!
LEEK AND THISTLE STEW
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 3 leeks
- 2 thistle stalks
- 2 carrots
- 200 g tofu
- 00 g mushrooms
- 4 potatoes
- 50 g almond flour
- 1 tablespoon flour
- corn
- 3 tbsp oil
- extra virgin olive oil
- a teaspoon of sea salt
- 2 glasses of water
Preparation:
It will take you 55 min.
- Cut the leeks and carrots into slices. Remove the strands from the thistle and cut it into 3cm pieces. Dice the tofu and cut each mushroom into four pieces.
- Pour the oil into a wide-based pot over medium heat. Add the leeks to sauté and release their broth. After five minutes, add the thistle, carrots, mushrooms, tofu and salt. Cover it and let it all braise over low heat.
- Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, cut them into thick slices and throw them into the pot along with a glass of water. Let it cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- Dissolve the cornmeal in another glass of water and add it to the stew along with the almonds. Let it cook for five more minutes to give the stew a thick consistency.
BEAN SOUP
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 250 g beans (after soaking for 8 hours)
- 4 shalcons or small onions
- 250 g Swiss chard
- 1 sprig of fennel or celery
- 1 turnip or parsnip
- 1 potato
- 50 g pearl noodles
- 2 tbsp oil
- sea salt
- 1 pinch of curry
- 2 and a half liters of water
Elaboration:
It will take you about an hour.
- Place the beans in a pot with the cold water. When it comes to a boil, add the vegetables and the cleaned and chopped potato.
- Season with the curry and half of the oil and boil it all together for 45 minutes.
- At the end of cooking, add
- salt and noodles and bring to a boil
- 10 minutes more.
- Add the rest of the oil when the soup is served on the plate. All that’s left is to enjoy it!
Give it more color!
If you use purple beans, you’ll dye the broth reddish and provide you with more protein and iron.
LENTILS WITH SPINACH
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 250 g lentils
- 50 g brown rice
- 100 g cleaned spinach
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1/2 green bell pepper
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Elaboration:
It will take you about an hour.
- Heat the oil in a pot and add the onion and pepper, finely chopped.
- Add the grated tomato, unpeeled garlic, paprika, oregano and bay leaf. When the tomato changes color, add the lentils, rice and a liter and a half of water.
- Turn up the heat and, in the meantime, chop the spinach and carrot, and pour them into the pot along with the vinegar when the water in the pot starts to boil.
- Let simmer for 45 minutes. When finished, add the sea salt, and let it cook for another minute before serving.
- You can make this same dish by substituting green soybeans for the lentils.
VEGETABLE STEW
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 300 g chickpeas
- (soaked in salt water from the night before)
- 200 g pumpkin
- 200 g cabbage
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 carrot
- 1 potato
- 1 celery stick
- 1 leek
- 1 turnip
- 1 parsnip
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- a pinch of black pepper
- a pinch of paprika
- a pinch of turmeric
- a piece of kombu seaweed, soak for 5 minutes
- 3 liters of water
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 2 tbsp. tsp. olive oil
Preparation:
It will take you about 90 minutes.
- In a large pot, brown the finely chopped onion in the oil and add the grated tomato.
- Once sautéed, add: chickpeas (washed), water, head of garlic, bay leaf, salt and kombu seaweed.
- Cook them for 1 hour in a regular pot or 20 minutes in a pressure cooker (they should be tender).
- Meanwhile, wash, peel and chop the vegetables. Season and cook for 20 more minutes (or 5 minutes if it’s in a pressure cooker).
- Strain the broth and serve as a consommé or with pieces of bread, grits or pasta. The rest, serve on an oiled tray.
BRAISED CABBAGE WITH MILLET
Ingredients for 4 people:
- 1 red cabbage
- 1 onion
- 1 apple
- 2 garlic cloves
- 250 g millet
- 100 ml apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pinch of sweet paprika
- 1 pinch of cumin
- 1 clove
- 1 litre of water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Preparation:
It will take you an hour.
- Grill the cabbage over low heat, so that it is made with its own juices. You can use a crock pot or a heavy-bottomed pot. To make the cabbage’s flavour even more concentrated, cover it with oiled baking paper and then close the lid normally.
- In a thick-based casserole dish, brown the chopped onion in the oil and add the finely chopped cabbage. Stir so that all of it is wet with oil.
- Crush the cloves, cumin, garlic, paprika and salt in the mortar. Mix it with a glass of water and vinegar, and add it to the stew.
- Peel the apple, cut it into slices and place them on top of the cabbage. Cover and let simmer for 45 minutes.
- In the meantime, prepare the millet. Grease the base of a pot and brown it for a minute. Then add 750 ml of hot water and let it cook for
- 15 minutes. Once turned off, stir and let it sit until it absorbs all the water.
- To serve, place the millet in the center of the seared cabbage.
THE INGREDIENTS YOU NEED IN EVERY VEGAN AND HEALTHY STEW
With winter, short days and low temperatures, it is advisable to adapt the daily menus to warm us up with a warm sense of well-being. Especially successful are the pucheros, which are thick soups that include various elements combined and that comfort us with their homely aroma.
From a dietary perspective, stews are a very good option, as the variety of their ingredients makes them nutritionally very complete.
They provide protein from legumes, carbohydrates from cereals and vegetables, vitamins and minerals from vegetables, and healthy fats from oil and nuts. All this is dissolved in the wines in a harmonious and satiating way.
It is a traditional dish in all regional cuisines and, of course, also in the vegan tradition. They are high-volume, but simple recipes, made from quality water and the best of the garden and pantry. Among its main components are the following:
- Winter vegetables. They are essential for flavoring. There should be a significant part of roots, such as leek, onion, garlic, carrot, turnip or parsnip; stem and leaf, such as celery, parsley, chard, spinach, thistle, or the whole gamut of cabbages and cabbages; and fruit, like the pumpkin.
- Vegetables. Like chickpeas or any type of lentils or beans, such as azuki. They are essential, because they provide flavor along with a great wealth of proteins and minerals. They turn any soup into a nutritionally complete and balanced dish. The kombu seaweed softens them and enhances the flavors.
- Cereals and starches. Rice, millet, potatoes, rolled oats or thick noodles give the stew a thick consistency and great energy richness due to its complex carbohydrates. At the same time, these foods are the ideal protein supplement for legumes.
- Fatty elements. Extra virgin olive oil is essential as a means of transporting fat-soluble vitamins and all kinds of aromas and flavors. It is often used to make an initial onion or leek stir-fry. However, nut and seed bites are also an interesting source of essential fatty acids.
ADD YOUR PERSONAL TOUCH
The traditional origin of these dishes makes us shy about them, although due to their versatility they admit different applications and flavors than usual. You just have to dare.
Beyond legume stews, we find stews, soups, creams or braised foods. Ingredients such as kombu seaweed, tofu, or gluten-free cereals such as millet or quinoa, are welcome and easily combinable.
Other ingredients that personalize and enrich the stews are condiments such as turmeric, saffron, bay leaf, cumin, thyme, and any herb and spice that adds flavor, facilitates digestion, and is to your taste.
WITH OR WITHOUT A BOUILLON CUBE?
It is preferable not to use commercial bouillon cubes, unless you are sure that they are made with organic ingredients and that they do not contain glutamate or an excessive amount of salt.
Keep in mind that once they are on the table, the stews can also be seasoned with extra virgin olive oil, soy sauce or even brewer’s yeast.
MAKING A GOOD STEW
Stews are dishes that are easy to make, tasty and that please everyone. It’s basically about putting the ingredients in the pot and letting them boil over a long cook.
The end result will largely depend on the quality of the ingredients you use. Make sure that they are organic, and the vegetables are local, so that they are at their best. The water is filtered or purified to avoid the traces of taste and toxins left by chlorinated water. And olive oil, first cold-pressed.
Pouting doesn’t require continuous attention and allows you to do other activities in the meantime. You can prepare them twice a week in a large pot. This way you will get a good dish for that day and you can use the rest of the broth for soups, simply adding flakes, bread or pasta.
HOW TO STORE BROTH
You should wait for it to cool down before storing it. Then you filter it and put it in an airtight glass container, so it doesn’t take on flavor. In the snow, it will last three or four days. If you want to freeze it, it’s best to do it in individual freezer bags, with the date of preparation written on them.
It will last you up to three months. When you need it, you just have to take it out, run the bags under cold water so that it defrosts and you can use it in your soups and creams.
Stews are an economical kitchen resource in terms of cost and performance, and as they are a unique dish on many occasions, you save on subsequent cleaning work. But their main advantage is that they are very nutritious and you want to eat them in the cold.
