StewsAmericanEasy

Hearty Vegetable Stew

Name: Hearty Vegetable Stew
Prep time: 17 min
Cook time: 51 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large (about 1½ cups) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; 3 medium (about 2 cups) (300 g) carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick; 2 stalks (100 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice; 4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; 1 tsp (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme; 1½ lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed (peeling optional) and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth; 14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried; 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce; 8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; 1 cup (140 g) frozen green peas, straight from the freezer; 1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, savory stovetop stew of tender potatoes, carrots, green beans and peas in a smoky tomato-vegetable broth. Tomato paste, soy sauce and a splash of lemon give it deep flavor without any meat.

Prep: 17 min
Cook: 51 min
Wait: 5 min
Total: 1 hr 13 min
Makes: About 9 cups (6 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

6 servings

2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1 large (about 1½ cups) (250 g) yellow onion, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
3 medium (about 2 cups) (300 g) carrots, peeled and sliced ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick
2 stalks (100 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) dice
4 cloves (12 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
1 tsp (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
1½ lb (680 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed (peeling optional) and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
14½ oz can (411 g) canned diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves, dried
1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
8 oz (225 g) green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 cup (140 g) frozen green peas, straight from the freezer
1 tsp (6 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp (8 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch-style pot with lid (used on the stovetop only)
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Vegetable peeler
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Cut the potatoes and carrots to the sizes given so everything cooks at the same pace. Keep cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water if you prep them early, then drain well.
Use low-sodium vegetable broth if you can. Canned broths vary a lot in saltiness, and you'll season at the end.
Frozen peas go in straight from the freezer. No need to thaw them.
This is a stovetop-only recipe. No oven is needed. Plan about 75 minutes from start to table.

1
Prep the vegetables
- Peel and dice the onion, slice the carrots ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick, dice the celery, and mince the garlic.
- Cut the potatoes into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes.
- Trim the green beans and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.
- Keep the garlic separate from the other vegetables.
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Ready when: Vegetables are cut to uniform sizes as listed.
Tip: Uniform cuts matter: bigger potato chunks will still be hard when the rest of the stew is ready.
2
Soften the base
- Set a 5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the olive oil.
- When it shimmers, add the onion, carrots, celery and ½ tsp of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 8 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with lightly golden edges; carrots look slightly glossy.
Tip: If the vegetables start to brown quickly or stick, lower the heat to medium-low.
3
Bloom the aromatics
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika and thyme.
- Stir constantly for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot, so the paste darkens slightly and coats the vegetables.
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Ready when: Tomato paste turns from bright red to brick red and smells sweet and fragrant; garlic is not browned.
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter. If it darkens fast, splash in a few tablespoons of broth.
4
Add liquid and potatoes
- Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaves, soy sauce and the remaining ½ tsp salt.
- Stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 5 minutes.
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Ready when: Large bubbles break across the whole surface.
5
Simmer until potatoes soften
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the stew bubbles gently.
- Partially cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice.
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Ready when: A potato cube is almost tender: a knife slides in with a little resistance in the center.
Tip: A gentle simmer keeps the potatoes from breaking apart. A hard boil will turn them to mush.
6
Add the green beans
- Stir in the green beans, cover partially, and keep simmering gently for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Green beans are tender but still slightly bright; potatoes and carrots are fully tender when pierced and a few potato edges have begun to thicken the broth.
7
Add the peas
- Stir in the frozen peas and simmer uncovered for 4 minutes.
- For a thicker stew, press a few potato cubes against the side of the pot with the back of your spoon to mash them into the broth.
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Ready when: Peas are bright green and hot throughout; broth is slightly thickened and clings to the spoon.
Tip: Don't add the peas earlier or they'll turn dull and mushy.
8
Finish and rest
- Turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves.
- Stir in the lemon juice, black pepper and parsley.
- Taste and add more salt, a pinch at a time, until the flavors are bright and savory.
- Let the stew rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then ladle into bowls.
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Ready when: Stew tastes balanced, with no flat or sharp edge, and is thick but still brothy.
Tip: Lemon juice is added off the heat so its fresh flavor isn't cooked away.

Good to know

Tips

Browning the tomato paste for a full 2 minutes builds the savory depth that makes up for the lack of meat.
Keep the simmer gentle and add the vegetables in stages so each one is tender without falling apart.
Always taste at the end. Broth saltiness varies, and a little salt plus the lemon juice makes the flavors pop.
Serve with crusty bread, or over cooked rice or barley for a heartier meal.

Make ahead

The stew tastes even better the next day. Make it through the peas step up to 2 days ahead, cool, and refrigerate. Reheat gently, then add the lemon juice, pepper and parsley just before serving. For the brightest green beans and peas, you can also hold them back and add them while reheating.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months (potatoes will be slightly softer after thawing). Reheat in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot, adding a splash of broth or water if it has thickened too much.

Substitutions

Yukon Gold potatoes → red potatoes or sweet potatoes. Use the same weight and cut size. Sweet potatoes cook a bit faster, so check them 3–4 minutes early.
soy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos. Use tamari for gluten-free; coconut aminos is milder, so you may need a pinch more salt.
fresh lemon juice → apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar. Use 2 tsp, since vinegar is sharper than lemon juice.
green beans → zucchini or frozen cut green beans. Add 1-inch zucchini pieces for the last 6 minutes. Frozen green beans need only about 6 minutes of simmering.