Mushroom Stew with Red Wine and Root Vegetables

Beef stew has never been much of a go-to comfort food for me. It probably has a lot to do with the fact that I’m not a huge beef eater. The other components I’m all for – root veggies, a rich sauce, preferably made with red wine. Yes, those things I like. 

And mushrooms. I love mushrooms. So I decided to make a mushroom stew. Essentially a beef stew without the meat. 

I also cut out the all-day simmering in the oven. 

Here, we are teetering on that line where cold mornings are making comfort foods more appealing, but hot afternoons still bring little desire to have the oven running for hours. 

So all the vegetables are caramelized in the skillet and then red wine adds a richness to the sauce. You shouldn’t miss the slow-cooked quality of a beef stew one bit. At least I didn’t. 

Another great addition for this would be to stir in some cooked lentils, but I’m out at the moment so I ate it as is. It can also be eaten by itself or serve it over brown rice. 

I should also add that while it is meat-free, it’s not exactly vegetarian (depending on how you define that term). The stew uses beef stock which helps give it that hearty, comfort-food appeal. You could definitely try a vegetable stock, but the flavors may not be quite as deep and complex. 

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 small red creamer potatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large carrot, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small parsnip, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
16 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup red wine
3 cups unsalted beef stock
2, 3-inch sprigs rosemary
2, 3-inch sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

PREPARATION

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high. Add the onion and then the garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften. Stir in the potatoes, carrot, and parsnip. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the vegetables are browned on some edges. Stir in the mushrooms and cook 1 minute.

Reduce the heat to medium and carefully pour in the wine. Stir well to deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the stock. Place the rosemary and thyme into the pot. Increase the heat slightly to bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and partially cover with the lid. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables are tender. Remove the herb stems and discard. 

Stir together the water and cornstarch in a small dish. Pour into the soup. Increase the heat slightly to a low boil. Stir and allow the stew to thicken. Cook for about 2 minutes. 

Add the salt and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving. This stew is especially good as leftovers as the sauce thickens even more when its chilled and reheated.