When I was growing up, we would go camping every summer. My parents often took our neighbor's kids along (they happened to be our best friends), and my older sisters would sometimes join us with their spouses. Needless to say, my mom enjoyed easy-to-make meals. One of her favorites was Dinty Moore Beef Stew. Yes, that canned stuff that some people say looks like dog food. As a kid, I loved it. It was comfort food.
I still find myself yearning for beef stew when the weather turns cold, even though, as an adult and a non-meat eater, there's no way I would open up a can of Dinty Moore. So a few days ago, I set out to make a vegetarian version of basic beef stew. I made sure I used plenty of "umami" ingredients to make my stew as meaty as possible without adding meat. My omnivore husband said I succeeded! He said it was one of the best "beef" stews he ever tasted. This is a definite do-over.
I'd like to preface this recipe by reminding you that cooking is an art, and I often cook intuitively. I usually don't measure ingredients and I add things as I go along, depending on the aromas and textures that are being created in the dish. I will attempt to give you approximate measurements but I encourage you to play with any of my recipes and make them your own!
First, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees. Clean and quarter about one and a quarter pounds of crimini mushrooms. Place them on a non-greased sheet pan that's large enough for the mushrooms to be in a single layer.
Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil and about a tablespoon of tamari over the mushrooms. Add some salt and pepper. With clean hands, mix everything together.
Spread the mushrooms back out into a single layer on the pan and roast for about 10 minutes.
While the mushrooms are roasting, cut four medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes and three medium sized carrots into bite-sized pieces. Keep the potatoes in a bowl covered with cold water so they don't discolor.
Remove the mushrooms from the oven. They will have shrunk and become dark and delicious. Try one!
Let them cool slightly, then scoop them into a bowl using a slotted spoon. Try to keep as much juice and mushroom bits in the pan as you can.
Pour and scrape the mushroom drippings into a large soup pot.
If needed, add enough additional olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Over medium heat, add the carrots, along with some salt, pepper and dried thyme, and stir carrots to coat. Cook for about three minutes.
Add just enough vegetable broth to cover the carrots and simmer until you can just pierce the carrots with a fork, about ten minutes. Do not cover the pot!
Drain the potatoes and add them to the pot. Add just enough additional vegetable broth to cover the potatoes. Add two bay leaves, about 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and about 1/2 cup of red wine (the more full-bodied, the better).
Bring back to a boil and then lower heat. Simmer until the potatoes are just fork-tender, about ten more minutes. Still no cover! Mmm, it's starting to smell good in here.
Time to add the mushrooms, along with a big handful of frozen pearl onions. Taste the liquid and adjust the seasonings accordingly. At this point, it looks more like a soup. Simmer on the lowest heat, stirring occasionally. You want the liquid to thicken and reduce, so no cover!
I left the stew on the stove and went to watch the last half hour of a Star Trek TNG episode. When I went back into the kitchen, the soup had become a stew! The liquid had become a nice, thick gravy. Delicious.
Here it is: Yami Stew! I served it with a Caeser Salad and flaky biscuits. P.S. It's even better the next day. You may have to add a little more broth if it's too thick. Enjoy!
