Description
Who doesn't love a hearty bowl of stew? This vegan kidney bean stew is a healthy yet yummy bowl of goodness!
Ingredients
Kidney Bean Stew
1 cup dried kidney beans* (or use 2 1/2 cups canned beans)
Water
2-inch piece kombu sea vegetable
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 cup diced winter squash
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups vegetable broth
Sea salt and pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons kudzu root starch
Garnish: fresh parsley
Millet Cauliflower Mash
1/2 onion
1 small head cauliflower, cut into big chunks
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup millet, rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth or water
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter of your choice
1-2 teaspoons sea salt
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
If using canned beans skip to the “To make the stew section.”
To cook dried beans:
Soak the kidney beans in cold water to cover overnight or 6 to 8 hours. The next day, drain them and place them in a pot. Cover them with fresh water, enough to cover them by two inches.
Soak the kombu sea vegetable in a little cold water for 10 minutes. Drain it and discard the water. Place the kombu under the beans.
Using a stovetop pressure cooker: Bring the beans, water and kombu to full pressure over high heat. Reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and release the pressure. Make sure the beans are nice and tender.
Using an Instant Pot: Put the beans, kombu, and water in the Instant Pot. Make sure the pressure regulator valve is closed. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Once cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally before trying to do a quick release. Make sure the beans are nice and tender.
Using a slow cooker: Bring the beans, water and kombu to a boil over medium high heat. Skim off any foam that appears and discard. Reduce the heat a little bit and continue to cook them on a strong simmer for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a slow cooker. Add additional water if needed to make sure the beans are covered with water by about an inch. Turn the slow cooker on high and cook, lightly covered, for 5 to 6 hours. Make sure the beans are nice and tender.
*Note: Kidney beans contain a naturally occurring toxin so they must be brought to a boil before using them in a slow cooker. The slow cooker may not heat up high enough to eliminate the toxin so be sure to not skip this step.
To make the kidney bean stew:
In a large soup pot on the stove top, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and the garlic and cook and stir for five minutes.
Add the winter squash, carrots, celery and ground cumin. Add the cooked beans. Then add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over medium high heat uncovered. Reduce heat to simmer on low, lightly covered, for 20 minutes. Add sea salt and pepper to taste, along with the maple syrup.
Place the kudzu starch in a small bowl and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water or vegetable broth. Stir until the starch is dissolved. Slowly stir this mixture into the bean-vegetable mixture. Stir occasionally for several minutes, until thickened. If you want the texture to be thicker, feel free to add a little more kudzu that has been diluted in some cold water first.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve hot, over rice, pasta or millet cauliflower mash.
To make the millet cauliflower mash:
In a medium saucepan, put the onion, cauliflower and garlic. Place the millet on top and add the vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered lightly, for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the olive oil or butter, sea salt and pepper. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Serve with kidney beans stew and fresh parsley.