Healthy Vegetarian Stew Recipe - with Herb Dumplings
Basic Vegetable Stew
This is a low cost high nutrition vegetable stew that is not only healthy but can help those following a low calorie diet. It's really easy to make, that's why I like it so much - plus you can use many different vegetables and achieve great results.
Whilst it's a healthy vegetarian stew there's nothing to stop you cooking meat separately and adding it to the dish for those who like extra protein! Almost any meat will do - from beef to chicken.
We enjoyed the fresh vegetable version and found it to be satisfying and filling.
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What Is a Stew?
A stew is a kind of hearty soup with added meat,vegetables or cereals to help thicken and enrich the basic stock.
I've been used to many different stews here in the UK - from a tasty beef stew made of lean cuts of beef with added vegetables to a light summer stew made from garden vegetables.
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Dried Soup Mix.
I used a special soup mix of different peas and beans as the base for the broth. This mix included:
- pearl barley
- yellow split peas
- green split peas
- marrowfat peas
- red split lentils
- aduki beans
Soak overnight for best results or soak for a few hours before cooking to soften up.
Celery and Pearl Barley
Celery contains many vitamins and minerals and also helps stop inflammation of the digestive tract.
Pearl barley is high in fibre and resistant starch, said to be of benefit to the bowel.
Peas and Beans and Lentils
Peas and beans and lentils are high in fibre and protein, of benefit to the digestive tract.
- Soak soup mix overnight or for 3/4 ours to soften up.
- Gradually boil soup mix in pan of water. Simmer and add bay leaves.
- Dice and chop all vegetables.
- Fry potatoes and carrots in olive oil until just soft.
- Fry celery and onions and garlic until just soft. Add sage and oregano herb. Take care not to burn.
- Add all together in large cooking pot or wok. Add pinch of salt and twist of pepper.
- Dissolve vegetable stock cube in 4 cups warm water.
- Add to cooking pot.
- Add soup mix. Stir.
- Make and add dumplings.
- Cook in medium oven for 20 minutes
Vegetarian Stew with Dumplings
- 3/4 cups soup mix, dried peas,beans,pearl barley
- 6-8 sticks celery, chopped
- 6-8 medium carrots, chopped
- 6-8 potatoes, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 small onions, chopped
- 6-8 spring onions, chopped
- 3/4 bay leaves
Make The Dumplings
Lightly combine using a fork 1 cup of self raising - all purpose - flour with 3 tablespoons of butter.
Pour one third cup of milk into mixture and make a rough dough.
Form into dumpling balls.
Carefully spoon into stew or:
Cook in stock or water until firm yet fluffy then add to stew for 5 minutes.
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Vegetable Broth and Small Herb Dumpling
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Serving size: 1 cup | |
| Calories | 110 |
| Calories from Fat | 36 |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Fat 4 g | 6% |
| Carbohydrates 15 g | 5% |
| Sugar 2 g | |
| Fiber 1 g | 4% |
| Protein 2 g | 4% |
| Sodium 700 mg | 29% |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
© 2013 Andrew Spacey
