Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes                      Servings: 4

The cold weather has got us snuggling in with this classic stew recipe. The mushrooms and red wine perfectly complement each other giving us this divine, rich and meaty stew. Serve with rice and if you are feeling adventurous feel free to add some chopped vegan sausages and/or dumplings to the recipe.

Ingredients
1 Medium onion, roughly chopped
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
300g mushrooms, quartered
3 Large Carrots, peeled & chopped into 2cm chunks
2 tsp. dried mixed/ Italian herbs, crushed in palm of hand
1 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 glass smooth, red wine
3 large potatoes, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Method

• Gently heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan
• Add onions and garlic – simmer over a medium heat, stir occasionally until browned (10 minutes)
• Add the mushrooms, stir and fry for 5 minutes.
• Add the carrots, mixed herbs and salt – fry the mix for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Once the vegetables are beginning to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the glass of wine and stir well.
• Cook the mixture for 10 – 15 minutes until the alcohol has evaporated and the stew has reduced.
• Once the alcohol has cooked off (if there is still alcohol the stew will have a slightly sharp smell which means it needs to be cooked longer) you can add the vegetable stock, 1 cup of water and potatoes.
• Stir well, cover and leave the stew to simmer on a low heat for an hour. Stir the stew occasionally and top up with water if necessary.
• Remember, the longer the stew can simmer on a low heat the richer the flavours will become.

Serve with rice & enjoy! Thick, rich and full of flavour – this stew will fill you up and is perfect for those cold evenings with a glass of wine and a book by the fire!