I wasn’t sure how this was going to come together as a faux beef stew, but it’s pretty good! Don’t go into this expecting it to have a beef flavoring, but the consistency is pretty similar to a beef stew – just without the chewy meat parts. I had to liberally add sea salt and ground black pepper to get it to a taste I really liked, but Erik enjoyed it as-is. Add whatever seasonings you think sound good. From straightupfood.com. 

Ingredients:

Servings: about 4 full bowls

• 1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾” pieces (I use yellow)
• 3 ribs celery, chopped into ¾” pieces
• 3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise then cut into ¾” pieces
• 2 portobello mushrooms (about ½ pound), cut into ¾”
• 1½ tbs. finely chopped garlic (about 5 to 6 cloves)
• 5 cups water
• 2 lbs. white or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces (I like it with the gold potatoes!)
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tbs. dried Italian herb seasoning blend
• 1 tbs. paprika
• 2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped OR ½ tsp. dried rosemary
• 1½ cups green peas (if frozen, thaw first)
• Optional: ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste (be very liberal with the salt and pepper)

Directions:

Heat a large soup pot over High. Add a tbs. of water, and when it begins to sputter add in the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often and adding water as needed. Cook until the edges of the onions are slightly browned. 

Add in the mushrooms and garlic. Continue stirring for another 5 minutes, adding water as needed.

Add the 5 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Bring the stew up to a boil, then reduce the heat down to a low boil. Stir in the rosemary and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the peas and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender.

Scoop 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender and blend until very smooth. Stir this back into the stew and add the parsley.  

Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. I like to add a lot of each!