A high barren landscape covered in grass, heather and rocks. There are several valleys that run up into the main hillside. A path leads the eve to the distance where there is a war memorial.
Abstract hill that also looks like a letter f and the words fell run that look like a shoe

Basic Veg Stew

—

by

kel
in

This recipe is one of my favourites, first it’s super easy and second, it’s incredibly versatile. I trust you to know how to balance the quantities, but it doesn’t really matter if there’s more of one thing than the other so long as it’s about right.

  • Potatoes, Carrots and Cabbage in equal quantity
  • An onion
  • Garlic
  • Olive Oil
  • Bay Leaf
  • Mixed Herbs
  • Boullion
  • Pearl Barley (optional)
  • Seasoning

Chop then gently fry the garlic and onion in the olive oil until just going soft.

Peel and chop the potatoes, same with the carrots, or just use whole Chantenay carrots, and finely slice the cabbage.

Throw them all in the pot along with the pearl barley, if using, and cover with water. Add the bay leaf and the herbs and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Season with additional salt if required and black pepper.

That’s it!

Portion up and pop in the freezer.

The magic happens when you add other things when you serve, here are some ideas:

  • Eat it as it is, it’s wholesome, simple and warming
  • Blend it into a traditional vegetable soup
  • Half blend it to create a thicker stew
  • Any of the above topped with parmesan and black pepper and serve with crusty bread
  • Add miso paste to the base – this transforms this dish into something with epic umami taste.
  • Top with various fresh or fermented vegetables
  • Top with various cooked vegetables, eg. courgettes, peppers
  • Add any cooked beans
  • Fry a traditional Indian popu and add this to the stew with spices to make a curry
  • Add noodles or pasta
  • Add tinned fish – this makes this stew a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and protein! This also works well with the miso paste and fermented vegetables and turns into an epic meal, like this:
Simple vegetable stew served with tinned sardines, fermented vegetables - kimchi, cress and radishes.

This is a staple in my home, I know when winter is coming when I start craving this stuff. It’s so good and the way it’s possible to turn it into so many different meals keeps it interesting and fun. It’s a great way to use up random things you may have left over in the fridge. Because the base flavour is so simple and neutral, it can adapt to almost anything.

Enjoy!

As always, comments are welcome on Mastodon!