The Betty Crocker Project : Winter Vegetable Stew

The first thing I said when I took a bite of this stew was "OH! These beans melt in your mouth like butter!"

Yeah I really said that. Sometimes I say weird things but that doesn't mean it wasn't completely true. This stew might be ugly. I mean might is being kind. This is some ugly soup. But just like our Inner Beauty Patty Melt, this soup has a great personality that makes up for it. It has so much rich, unique and a kinda diverse flavor. Oh and of course it has parsnips! I think this might be our first Betty recipe with parsnips. It's always fun to kinda mix it up a little but with those vegetables and going with seasonal produce is a great way to keep it fresh - literally.

I know right now we're all ready for summer but before we pull out the ice cream makers and plug in those AC units - we should take a second and remember in a lot of places right now - It is freezing! This stew is perfect with some sourdough bread and a mug of almond chai and of course to share with friends because this recipe makes a lot... like lunch for a week a lot.

This stew is also extremely easy to make. So we had time to update our Nerdery Page and start putting The Meet The Shannons Family Album together. Over the past year we've been getting a lot of photos from readers who have made a Meet The Shannons recipe. So we're putting together an album that will live on our Family Tree Page. We're launching on March 1st - So if you have a photo that you haven't sent in yet please email it soon with your name and tell use what you made to shannons@meettheshannons.net.

So here's your to do list :

1. Send in Photos
2. Explore Your Inner Nerd
3. Eat a lot of stew!

OK - Go! Chop - Chop!

Winter Vegetable Stew

• 1 Can (14oz) Diced Tomatoes with Italian Seasoning
• 4 Medium Red Potatoes (cubed) 
• 4 Celery Stalks (chopped) 
• 1 Cup Baby Carrots
• 2 Medium Parsnips (peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 Medium Leeks (cut into 1/2 inch pieces) 
• 1 Can Garbanzo Beans (drained and rinsed) 
• 4 Cups Better Than Bouillon - Vegan Beef (made per instructions on the package) 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves 
• 1/2 Teaspoon Rosemary (crushed) 
• 1 Teaspoon Braggs 
• 1 Tablespoon Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
• 2 Teaspoons Red Wine
• 3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
• 3-4 Tablespoons Cold Water 
• Shredded Smoked Cheddar Sheese to sprinkle over the top

Add all ingredients except Nutritional Yeast, Cold Water and Sheese to your slow cooker. Cover and cook on the Low Heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Stirring occasionally. Once your Vegetables are soft, stir in Nutritional Yeast and Water. Then recover and cook on Medium for another 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and remove from heat once it is thick. If you feel like it go too think, you can always fix that with a little Water one Tablespoon at a time until you like the thickness.

Serve it with some shredded Sheese over the top ( it adds a smokey flavor that really takes this stew to another level) and don't forget your bread! It is so good with that bread - Oh you don't even know. You can thank me later.