No-Meat Guinness Stew

 

 

I’m on a little bit of a quest to prove that you don’t need to put meat into everything to make it taste better.

Here’s my proof.

Saint Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and I have already been feeling a little festive with the Guinness.  (see here.)  So, I knew it was only a matter of time before I tried to make a hearty, filling, healthy, and (gasp!) meatless stew that even a carnivore could love.  After scrolling through several bookmarked and saved recipes, I landed upon one I particularly liked.  I increased the vegetable quotient and served it with some fresh-from-the-oven soda bread (recipe to follow in a couple of days.)

With all stews, it was delicious on the first day but even more so after an overnight chill in the fridge.  I ate this for several nights as leftovers since I made a large portion of this (feel free to cut it in half).  The Guinness?  It was definitely in the background, but it wasn’t overwhelming.  The end result?  A fantastic vegetarian alternative to a great winter meal.  I’m celebrating St. Patrick’s Day early this year.

No-Meat Guinness Stew

Servings: about 6 large portions

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, peeled and chopped

6 small celery stalks, chopped into bite-sized pieces

16 ounces (1 lb) button mushrooms, cleaned, de-stemmed, and sliced

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

One 11.2-ounce bottle of Guinness Stout***Some people say that Guinness is not vegetarian based on its processing.  If you are a strict vegetarian or vegan, please use another brand of beer.

4-5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

3 lb (about 3-4 large) Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon vegetable base (I used Better Than Boullion.)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon paprika

4 cups water

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.  Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering.

2. Add the onion, celery, and about 1/4 of the mushrooms, stirring frequently until softened, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the flour to the mixture and stir to coat and cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Carefully pour the bottle of Guinness over the mixture, and stir to scrape up any browned bits.

5. Add the remaining vegetables and ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.

6. Decrease the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes.

 

Source:  Adapted from The Kitchn.