My mom made this stew for me one weekend while my husband was off on a guys only camping trip back in September/October. It was her first time making this particular recipe which she found in Woman's Day. While she used the end of our garden produce at the time, I purchased all the ingredients (except carrots which I already had) today from my local Aldi's. I also used canned diced tomatoes instead of fresh. My mom also added our beautiful swiss chard which we grew for the first time in our joint garden which added additional color and texture to the original recipe. I wanted to add it to mine but I could only find collard greens which ended up being a nice substitute.
While the original recipe called for pepperoni, I am calling this meatless. The pepperoni can be omitted or substituted with a vegetarian option. It does impart of a lot of flavor to the dish. My mom also served this with a side of homemade pesto, we just spooned up a healthy sized dollop and added it to our bowls of stew just before eating. The stew is hearty, healthy, earthy, and full of flavor. It made my brother very happy who is always saying we need to eat more vegetables. Tonight I am making this for Eric who just had his cholesterol and triglycerides checked and were found to be a somewhat high. I realized I am partly to blame for this as I look back on my prior posts and see my love affair with cheese. Serve with pesto if you wish and a slice of crusty italian bread.
- olive oil for dutch oven
- 2 large onions diced
- 4 cloves of garlic peeled and diced
- 4 oz sliced pepperoni or vegetarian substitute diced
- 3 large carrots cut on thick diagonal
- 1/2 cabbage cored cut into wedges and chopped
- 3/4 pound collards or swiss chard ribs removed, chopped, & washed
- 3 14-oz cans diced tomatoes in juice
- 2 medium sized zucchini washed and chunked
- 1 yellow bell pepper chopped into 1 in pieces
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 8-10 baby sized red potatoes precooked and cut in 1/2 or 1/4 depending on size
- 3 scallions white and greens chopped
Directions:
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in pan. Add onions, garlic, and pepperoni. Cook until golden about 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan, transferring to bowl. Add carrots, cabbage, greens, salt and pepper to season. Layer tomatoes over greens and carrots. Continue to layer vegetables: zucchini, yellow pepper, and finally sprinkle onion mixture over the top. Top with scallions. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium heat.
Add 3 cups vegetable stock (or more if you desire, this is a stew so it is thick). Stirring to combine. Cook for 30 to 45 minutes more or until vegetables are tender (not mushy), stirring occasionally. Add pre-boiled potatoes and stir gently. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve with pesto if desired.
Note: As you can see from the original recipe in Woman's Day, we made a few modifications. This is based on our likes, what we had on hand, and could find at our local grocers. Feel free to do the same and customize this recipe to the likes of your family. Get your spouse, kids, parents or grandparents involved, whatever your situation and have fun in the kitchen!
Labels: Gluten-free, main dish, meatless monday, one pot meals, peppers, potatoes, recipe, soup, stew, vegetarian
