Hearty Vegan Red Bean Stew | The Ultimate Comfort Food

Hearty Vegan Red Bean Stew

Ingredients:
2 cups dried red kidney beans (rinsed and soaked overnight)
2 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion (diced)
6 pimento peppers (chopped)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (chopped)
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (minced)
6-8 cloves garlic (sliced)
6-8 sprigs thyme
3 tomatoes (chopped)
¼ cup celery (chopped)
2 tbsp bandania (culantro)
¼ cup chives (chopped)
¼ lb pumpkin (diced)
2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
1 pack coconut milk (made up to ¾ cup with hot water) or fresh coconut milk (whichever is available)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar

Dry Herb Mix:
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf (ciliment)

Method:
Prepare the beans: After soaking the red kidney beans overnight, discard the water. Rinse the beans thoroughly and place them into a heavy-bottom pot. Cover the beans with water (about half an inch above the beans). Add garlic and thyme, then bring to a boil. Let it simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the beans are tender.

Prepare the Sofrito (Flavour Base): While the beans are cooking, heat 2 tbsp of oil in a separate pot. Add the diced onions, chopped scotch bonnet, pimento peppers, and minced ginger. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant and the onions are translucent.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes, celery, and bandania (culantro) to the pot. Stir everything together and cover. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the tomatoes soften, about 2-3 minutes.

Once the tomatoes are tender, add the diced pumpkin. Stir in the dry herb mix (oregano, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, and bay leaf). Cover and let it steam on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Prepare the browning sauce: Once the beans are tender, make the browning sauce by adding 1 tbsp brown sugar to a separate pot. Allow it to melt and caramelize until it becomes dark and frothy. Carefully and quickly transfer the beans into the pot with the browning sauce. Let the beans absorb the browning before adding in the rest of the cooking liquid.

Combine everything: Add the sofrito (flavour base), carrots, coconut milk, soy sauce, and bay leaf to the beans. Stir well, cover, and cook for 2 minutes to allow the coconut milk to fully combine, preventing clumping.

Simmer and thicken: Uncover and cook for another 10-15 minutes to thicken the gravy. The gravy will thicken as it cools due to the coconut milk, so be sure not to let too much liquid evaporate.

Finish and serve: Once the gravy has thickened, garnish with chopped chives. In this video, I served the stew with callaloo, turmeric herbed rice, vegetable macaroni pie, and cucumbers. How will you enjoy this recipe?

Tips:
If you prefer a spicier stew, feel free to add more scotch bonnet pepper or other hot peppers to your liking.
You can adjust the consistency of the gravy by adding more coconut milk or water if it gets too thick.
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