Hearty Vegetable Stew

This was supposed to be a vegetarian cholent, and not a post.  Then I started throwing the entire crisper and some crazy spices in it, so I took pictures in case it was worthwhile.  Yep.

It was probably the addition of miso paste which put it over the top.  And since I have dashi miso at the moment, this is no longer vegetarian.  It doesn't taste specifically Asian, probably because I dumped the rest of my tagine spice container into the pot.  And chili powder, and sumac.  The flavors were so over the place that adding asparagus didn't seem additionally weird.  I'm still calling that optional.

This stew is grounded in the mushrooms, kidney beans, and potatoes.  They and the flavorings are the heart of it.  The carrots, asparagus, and cilantro are just interesting to look at.

I'm giving you the one-hour version here.  It didn't fit in the slow cooker.  As long as you're using canned beans, a slow cooker is definitely an option.  I'm guessing 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.

2 Tb olive oil
*1/2 onion, diced
*2 ribs celery, diced
8 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 Tb tomato paste
*1 Tb miso paste
1 Tb soy sauce
*1 Tb Ras El Hanout or "Tagine Spice"
1 tsp chili powder
*1/2 tsp sumac
2 C vegetable or mushroom broth (or chicken for non-vegetarian)
1 lb red potatoes, cut in bite-sized pieces
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and cut in bite-sized pieces
1 15 oz can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
*4 oz asparagus, cut in 2" lengths (optional)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1.  In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium.  Add onion and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook until they give up their water, about 10 minutes.

2.  Add tomato paste, miso paste, soy sauce, ras el hanout, chili powder, and sumac and cook in the mushroom water until smooth.  Stir in broth and bring to a simmer.

3.  Add potatoes and carrots and simmer until potatoes are cooked, about 20 minutes.  Add asparagus, beans, and cilantro and simmer 5 minutes, until everything is heated through.

4.  Serve hot, either as a stew in a bowl or over rice or noodles.

Difficulty rating  π