vegetable stew – Nat's Ladle

I’d like to call this an “anti flu stew”. It’s got all you need to make you feel just that little bit better when you are fighting those viruses – and even when not. Lots and lots of fresh organic vegetables, beautiful spices, wholesome broth, supergrain buckwheat and antiviral coconut oil. Throwing this stew together was about as much as I was able to while succumbing to the childcare winter germs, but it was well worth it and kept me going for a few nights. If you are lucky, you might even have someone who does it for you. Envy!

This stew is of course not only for the cold and flu, but I was so amazed how I felt after having it compared to before that I stick to anti-flu stew. Actually, as the title suggests, the two stars are buckwheat and silverbeet, but I think it would work with any types of vegetables and grains. It somehow happened that I had a delivery of organic vegetables that day, and half the box was filled with silverbeet. Turning it onto a stew was more an experiment than anything else, but here we go. The silverbeet works a treat but, again, you can sub your favourite vegetable if you haven’t got an organic vegetable delivery with silverbeet in.

I tend to avoid garlic and onions as much as possible due to FODMAPS which are not my tummy’s friend, but since those organic vegetable people like to fill up the boxes with onions, I had quite a bit of onion and garlic, and as both have great antibacterial and antiviral properties, I set priorities and chose to fight those germs (and put up with a bit of bloat). But as always, you can omit garlic and onions even though that might slightly impair the flavour.

This stew freezes very well and tastes great even after days.

1 tbsp organic coconut oil
1 organic onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 organic garlic cloves, minced
spices and herbs of choice (great options are cayenne pepper, chili powder, curry powder, paprika, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, bay leaves, parsley…)
1 bunch organic silverbeet, chopped (or other vegetable)
1 bunch organic broccoli, chopped (or other vegetable)
250 g organic carrots, peeled and chopped
1l vegetable stock
2 x 400 g cans diced tomatoes
1 x 400 g legumes of choice (I used butter beans)
1 cup raw buckwheat kernels
salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Heat oil in a cast iron pot over low heat. Stir in garlic and onions and fry well until the garlic is soft and the onion translucent. This can take up to ten minutes. You can fry them for less than that, but the longer you fry them, the more easy on your tummy.

Add vegetables and give them a quick stir until the fragrances are released. Add the prepared vegetables and cook for a few minutes.

Deglaze with tomatoes and stock, add the buckwheat and legumes. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste with salt, pepper, lemon juice and fresh parsley and serve. Due to buckwheat, this stew is very filling without the need of an additional starchy side dish.

Enjoy!

Do you have new year’s resolutions? Well, my hubby’s is to learn German (which is a very good resolution), I want to become a better baker in 2014, and chances are, you plan to eat healthier or make more home-cooked stuff instead of takeaways – in which case you have come to the right place!

Actually, the title is a little bit confusing – the soup we’re dealing with here is far from a tasteless broth fasting. In fact, it is a warming, hearty, thick, stew-like soup, which is very comforting on cold winter days (as they are now in the Northern Hemisphere), and at the same time, it is the perfect light soup to give your digestive system a break, reset your taste buds and gain back the energy you lost in a holiday-carbohydrate-induced stupor (and maybe lose a couple of pounds, too!).

The good thing is, my magical soup doesn’t taste like anything that resembles the words “diet” or “detox”, but it is pure goodness in a bowl, consisting of nothing but fresh vegetables, water, a dash of olive oil, lemon juice, and a few spices. There is no stock powder, no MSG, no unhealthy fats, no sugar whatsoever, and only minimal amounts of coarse sea salt.

It really is the easiest thing to do – just shovel all ingredients in a stock pot and simmer for 45 minutes. It is the ideal way to make use of any leftover veggies that are withering in your fridge. No excuse to throw away any food anymore! (I hate wasting food.) It is a very inexpensive pleasure, too (if you buy your veggies from the market). And you can adjust the flavour to your liking – use any veggies you like (or which need to go), use herbs and spices (I love spicy food, so I use liberal amounts of chili powder – very good for your metabolism -, paprika, black and red pepper, ginger, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, you name it). You can use curry powder and a dash of coconut milk for an exotic flavour. Or you can just keep it basic with s+p, garlic, chives, and parsley. Or make it Mediterranean style with crushed tomatoes, basil, and oregano (and a bit of shredded Parmesan). The options are endless.

In taste and texture, this soup resembles a classic pea and ham soup – only far, far healthier! So, chances are, your family will love it too! I sometimes add a bit of protein such as marinated tofu or tempeh. It’s all yours to make this your personal detox soup.

Serves 6

1 kg fresh vegetables (e.g. leeks, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, parsnips, turnips, peas, green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, celeriac, pumpkin, capsicum, squash…)
water to cover
herbs and spices (salt, pepper, paprika, chili, ginger, cardamom, coriander, nutmeg, oregano, parsley, basil, chives…)
extra virgin olive oil to taste
lemon juice to taste
any add-ons to serve (e.g. tofu, tempeh…)

Rinse, drain, and chop the veggies into 1-inch pieces. Place on the bottom of a heavy stock pot and cover with enough water. Bring to the boil, add herbs, spices, EVOO, and lemon juice, and simmer uncovered for 45-55 minutes. Take off the heat and purée with a stick blender. Serve by itself or with a protein add-on and fresh parsley.

Enjoy!