People often ask me if I miss the taste of meat, and the honest truth is that I don’t. When I was 16 I made a conscious choice to be done with eating animals, so the taste of meat isn’t something I really crave. I do, however, miss the memories of meals I grew up eating — my dad sizzling bacon in the morning and sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on his toast, my mom mixing up a fresh batch of chicken salad with grapes and pecans, the slow cooker gurgling with stew when I got home from school. It’s those dishes (vegetarian or not), the ones that instantly make me think of my childhood, that I miss.

I’m not sure that my mom ever made a classic pot roast growing up, but I definitely remember her famed Swiss steak, a tomato-based sort of stew. Vegetarians, generally, get short-changed in the hearty stew department, people believing a stew’s not a stew (now I’m thinking of another childhood classic, Snot Stew) unless it contains chunks of juicy meat. But thank goodness for the versatility of portobello mushrooms and a well-seasoned vegetable broth!

This recipe is a fall classic and is loaded with veggies that both fill and warm you up. We served the pot roast with Carba-Nada Egg Fettuccine, a low-carb option that’s ready in only three minutes. There’s nothing like coming home from work as an adult and being met with familiar slow cooker aromas at the door.

INGREDIENTS

3 Russet potatoes, washed & cut into chunks
1 lb. baby portobello mushrooms, washed & cut in half
3 large carrots, peeled & cut into chunks
1 red onion, cut into chunks
1 - 13 oz. bag frozen peas
5 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 - 6-oz. can tomato paste
3 cups vegetable broth
4 T. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce (can substitute soy sauce or tamari)
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 T. cornstarch
Salt & pepper, to taste
Freshly chopped parsley, to garnish

STEPS

1) Add all the veggies (except the peas) to a slow cooker along with the garlic, thyme, 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, the wine, the tomato paste and the Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

2) Cover and cook until the veggies are tender but not mushy, either 6-8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.

3) In a bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of vegetable broth and the cornstarch. Whisk well to combine. Pour the cornstarch mixture into the slow cooker and stir everything together. Cover and allow the pot roast to cook on high for an additional three minutes.

4) Cook the peas according to package directions and stir into the slow cooker.

5) You’re ready to eat! The pot roast can be served on its own, but it’s also delicious alongside egg noodles or brown rice.