This ultimate vegan stew is guaranteed to receive the non-vegan stamp of approval! The creaminess comes from nutritional yeast, coconut milk and miso paste, which makes for a super flavorful, umami-loaded combination. Plus, you can’t go wrong with anti-inflammatory spices like garlic, ginger and turmeric. This is a dish that just makes you feel good after eating it.

And don’t forget the plant-based protein — chickpeas are a classic choice, but any sort of white beans, like cannellini beans or Great Northern beans, would work as well. I love the addition of green beans to this stew, too; honestly, feel free to load it up with different veggies! I think broccoli, cauliflower and/or green peas would work really well, too.

As I’m one of those people who adds hot sauce to everything, you know I drizzled my bowl of stew with sriracha. Keep it simple and enjoy the stew as-is, or serve it with garlic naan for dipping. Either way, you’ll end up with a filling, plant-based meal that you can feel good about eating!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 leek, sliced thin (use just the white part)

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 2 large carrots, chopped

• 2 celery ribs, chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled & minced

• 2 - 15 oz. cans of chickpeas, drained & rinsed

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 t. turmeric

• 1 t. chili powder

• 1 T. nutritional yeast

• 1 T. olive oil

• 2 - 15 oz. cans low-fat coconut milk

• 2 1/2 c. vegetable broth

• 2 T. white miso paste

• 1 - 12 oz. steam-in-the-bag green beans

• Juice of one lime

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Optional: sriracha to garnish + naan for dipping

STEPS

1) Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the leeks, carrots, celery and onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions become translucent, about five minutes.

2) Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chili powder, nutritional leaf and bay leaf and stir well.

3) Pour in the chickpeas, coconut milk and vegetable broth. Season with salt & pepper and stir well to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35 minutes.

4) Use a ladle to remove one cup of the stew. Pulse in a food processor, then add back to the stew and stir well to combine. Pulse more than one cup of the stew if you want it to be thicker.

5) Cook the green beans according to package directions and stir into the stew.

6) Add the miso paste to a bowl with a bit of hot water. Whisk well, then pour the thinned miso paste into the stew. Stir well.

7) Squeeze the juice of one lime into the stew and season well with salt and pepper. Serve and drizzle with sriracha, if desired. Naan is great for dipping!