Awesome Veggie Stew w/Pesto

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-02-2003
Awesome Veggie Stew w/Pesto
Thu, 04-17-2008 - 1:49pm

I know there are a million homemade vegetable stew recipes. But I am going to share my own here too! The pesto really finishes it nicely.


2 T's olive oil
1 medium onion
2 cups baby carrots, diced up
3 stalks (w/leaves) of celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced


2 large boxes of some kind of broth (I used low sodium chicken broth, but vegetable stock or beef would be great)
1 can diced tomatos (however many you like. I only used the smaller 15 oz, but I could've stood for more tomato)
1 zucchini sliced
1 broccoli crown (mine was good sized. I had about 2.5 good cups of brocc florets. Keep them kind of big)
1/2 head of cauliflower florets
1 package of petite frozen whole green beans
1/2 smaller head of cabbage, chopped into chunks


Various spices to taste (I added S&P, red pepper flakes, basil, thyme)
Prepared Pesto



1) heat up the olive oil in a soup/stock pot. Chop up the veggies in the order that they're listed, and add them to the oil as you chop to "roast" them. (this is a Rachel Ray method from one of her soup recipes. I love it like this)
2) Once everything is good and roasted (maybe 5 to 7 minutes stirring occasionally) add the rest of your ingredients and simmer until everything is cooked down to your liking.


When you serve it, stir a tablespoon or so (to taste) of pesto into each serving. Maybe a sprinkle of parm? (I also add tobasco. I am a nut for spicy stuff)


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I also served mine over an attempt at whole wheat spatzle, that ended up being dumplings (hungarian style, cut off the side of the plate into boiling water, because they would NOT come out the holes in the colander!) They were a little different. But tasty to me. Here's where I found that recipe, if you're interested. I cut it in half. (and did not "fry" the dumplings in butter replacement. Not necessary for me)


http://www.asianfoodchannel.com/recipes_details.php?urlname=apple_braised_pork_with_whole_wheat_spatzle


(I hadn't even read the pork recipe on that site, I was so intent on the pasta recipe. It looks very good too, with very few adjustments!)



 


 

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