Friday, June 10, 2011

Vegetarian Beef Stew

Is that an oxymoron? Why yes it is! After the vegetarian experiment, I decided to continue with it and my husband decided he couldn't give up all meat all the time. So what happens now? A lot of creative recipes.

Beef stew was a favorite of mine growing up bust mostly because I LOVE cooked carrots and despised anything with ground beef. This week, hubby requested beef stew because he had picked up some nice meat at the farmer's market - free range, grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free - and we needed to use it even if it was 100 degrees outside.

What does a new vegetarian who loves beef stew do?? She finds a replacement!
Roland Feng Shui Edamame, 4.4-Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

What You Need:

  • Packaged stew meat or chuck roast cut into pieces
  • Vegetables of choice (carrots, peas, potatoes, radishes, eggplant, etc.)
  • Edamame (soybeans)
  • Low-sodium broth
  • Package beef stew seasoning

What You Do:
  1. Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker or crock pot with 1-2 cups low sodium broth
  2. Mix the packet of beef stew seasoning with water according to package directions and add to crock pot, saving about 1/4 cup for edamame, if desired
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
  4. Heat a small amount of stew seasoning mix (or broth) in a separate pan and add shelled edamame. Cook on low for about 20 minutes to heat through and infuse flavor. 
  5. When serving: for regular beef stew, dish up from the slow cooker. When serving for non-beef stew, avoid the meat and add 1/4 cup cooked edamame instead. 


Note: You could use any veggie-friendly protein in lieu of meat but the edamame worked well with the vegetable medley we already had going. The beef stew seasoning mix we used also contained beef fat but I was OK with it since it tasted like the stew I loved growing up.

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