Hearty Vegetarian Vegetable Stew

I know what you are thinking - stew is supposed to have beef or some other kind of meat in it, otherwise it wouldn't be a hearty stew. I'm going to prove you wrong, but I think you'll be happy about that once you have a bowl.

My vegetarian days are long over, but this is one of the dishes I still make. I first started making this stew about 12 years ago, and honestly couldn't even tell you where I found it. Over the years I made many changes to it, so I consider this recipe my own. (I even searched high and low for a similar recipe before posting that statement and couldn't find one).

Ingredients (4-6 servings)

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 potatoes, chopped
• 2 14.5-oz cans vegetable broth
• 1 tsp dried thyme (measurement is approximate, I season directly from the jar)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp black pepper (also approximate, season to taste)
• 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes (no juice)
• 1 14 oz can creamed corn
• 1/2 c frozen peas

Directions

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat
• Add onions and garlic, saute 3-4 minutes
• Add carrots, celery, and potatoes; stir to mix everything together
• Add broth, thyme, bay leaf, and black pepper
• Let simmer 10-15 minutes until potatoes are mostly done
• Add tomatoes (I crush them slightly with my hands) and corn
• Cover and let simmer 20 minutes
• Add the peas and continue to simmer 10 minutes
• Remove bay leaf and serve

Like a meat stew, this one also gets better the next day. It is so delicious, comforting, and satisfying, and now that I'm totally craving another bowl, I'm going to stop writing to eat an early dinner. I hope you try this one soon!