Winter Vegetable Stew

This Winter Vegetable Stew is hearty and rich tasting thanks to caramelized onions and lean beef, and full of nutrition from local kohlrabi and homegrown cabbage and carrots! A wild rice blend seals the deal.

February is always one of the longest months to get through. It's grey and dreary, the weather alternating between biting cold, freezing rain, blowing wind and snowing buckets.  Not only does the weather work against us, but for me as a teacher knowing March Break is this close makes time drag on even slower - yes, even though we had a 2 1/2 week break in December! Unlike last year's unseasonably warm (yet welcome) temperatures, we've been on the chilly end this year, delighting the skiers in our midst. I, on the other hand, am always cold (as in, I have a heated blanket on almost 24/7 and wear a heated jacket inside), so until the temperatures crest over 20C I am sticking with warming, hearty comfort foods.

Thankfully, the foods best suited for warming us up in the chilly seasons are also some of the cheapest to make - take this stew for instance. Even though for me the cabbage, carrots, broth and tomato sauce were essentially free (garden hauls that kept exceedingly well in the fridge along with homemade ingredients), if I needed to buy them it would have still been pennies out of my pocket. My original idea was to make an "unstuffed cabbage roll" soup, but as I kept cooking and adding things the whole medley morphed into a celebration of all the winter vegetables and warming flavours I loved. A bowl of it freshly made was perfect alongside a slab of rye bread (homemade of course), but like all good things, this actually tasted better a few days later and even after being frozen. Good thing, too, because with all the veggies, beef and rice, this recipe makes more than enough food to go around!

Winter Vegetable Stew
Serves 12

2 tbsp canola oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb. extra lean ground beef or turkey
1 head roasted garlic, pasted
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ tbsp paprika
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dried dill
1 large cabbage, shredded
1 large kohlrabi head, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup plain tomato sauce
6 cups low-sodium beef broth or water
1 cup brown and wild rice blend

1. Add half the oil to a large pot and place medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep brown, about 20 minutes.
3. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the remaining oil, followed by the beef. Cook, stirring, until browned.
4. Add the garlic, salt and spices and continue cooking for 1 minute.
5. Add the cabbage, kohlrabi, carrots, tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth and rice.
6. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until vegetables and rice are cooked, about 40 minutes.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 179.2
Total Fat: 4.1 g
Cholesterol: 22.0 mg
Sodium: 766.2 mg
Total Carbs: 22.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.0 g
Protein: 13.7 g