hunters stew // ciabatta croutons

hunters stew

an odd thing for a vegan to recreate

when making this stew, i was thinking of what it would be like to live in a cabin in the middle of the woods with a wood stove to cook over and a perfectly seasoned cast iron dutch oven and frying pan

i think i would like to live like this -

i think this until i remember:

a. i don't like smelling like woodsmoke

b. i don't like lugging firewood

a perfect stew for cold winters - a warm satisfying weekend meal you can share with friends

with or with out the wood burning fireplace

traditionally, hunters stew features sausage, rabbit & chicken

i opted for sausage only - feel free to use any meat substitute you have on hand

any & all would work equally well

the potato and yellow split peas thicken the stew without the need of added fat

baby bellas add an earthiness that i can never get enough of

garlic & onion - well, no stew would be complete without them

parsley adds a bit of color to the final dish

i almost forgot the carrots - thankfully i remembered

homemade veggie broth is best

but, in a pinch organic store bought works just as well

ciabatta bread croutons - need i say more

well yeah - seasoned to perfection with nutritional yeast & all purpose seasoning

after the soup was gone, i ate all the croutons straight outta the bowl

sauteed with a bit of butter and olive oil

wonderful.

a perfectly crunchy garnish for a perfectly fabulous stew

 a stew that warms your belly and your heart a hunters stew that does not require hunting that my friends, makes me smile 

Hunters Stew ~ Ciabatta Croutons

serves 4

you will need:

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 15 baby bella mushrooms, quartered
• 8oz light life gimme lean ground sausage
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 medium red skinned potatoes, cubed
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup yellow split peas
• 32oz veggie broth
• salt
• ground pepper
• parsley for garnishing

for the croutons:

• 1 square ciabatta roll - about 1  1/2 cups cubed
• 1tsp butter
• 1tsp olive oil
• 1tsp nutritional yeast
• 1tsp all purpose seasoning
• pinch salt

assembly:

• in a medium soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat - saute onion until translucent
• add baby bellas and a pinch of salt - cook until mushrooms begin to turn golden brown
• sausage and garlic are added next, cooking until the sausage begins to turn golden brown
• potatoes, split peas & carrots are added to the pot along with the veggie broth - season with salt & pepper . bring to a boil
• reduce heat to low, place the cover askew (to allow steam to escape) onto the pot & simmer for 30 minutes
• meanwhile, cube the bread for the croutons
• in a medium saute pan, over medium heat add butter, oil & bread - sprinkle with nutritional yeast, seasoning and salt- tossing to evenly coat all sides of the bread cubes
• cook over medium heat tossing frequently until all sides are golden - about 10 minutes. remove from heat (i think this would equally work well baked in a 350* oven if you do not want to make on the stove top)
• allow the soup to sit for approximately 10 minutes prior to serving
• ladle finished soup in bowls, garnish with ciabatta croutons & fresh parsley

enjoy!

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