I’ve “planned” to give this a try for years… updating a simple old recipe and making it VEGAN. Well… I finally did. And it is fantastic. Really good.
It was inspired by a trip to Disney World a long time ago – so long ago that King Stefan’s Banquet Hall was still open (it opened with the park in 1971 and became Cinderella’s Royal Table in 1997). Here’s a pic of the place way back when… the clothes would seem to indicate it was not in 1997 but more like 1977. The servers were dressed in medieval costumes and they served this stew in pewter metal bowls with heavy utensils. Really kept with the theme.
They served a version of this that I remember quite fondly… and I’m so happy to have found a way to make it GREAT and filling and Vegan and healthy and compassionate.
So. Enough about that. On with the show.
Ingredients:
Barley (8.8 oz from Trader Joe’s is perfect, but any will do)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 large onion
4 medium or 2 large carrots, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
10 cups water
5 tsp vegan “beaf” bouillon
2 tsp better than bouillon
#Gardein Beefless Tips – 1 pkg
1-2 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
2 tablespoons Parsley
Prepare the Barley as directed on the package. If you want to use just one pot, the quick barley is perfect… and you can chop the veggies while it’s cooking (only about 15 minutes).
When the barley is cooked, drain and rinse in a colander and set aside.
In a pretty good sized soup pot, sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in the oil for about 10 minutes until they’re soft.
While sautéing, mix 10 cups of hot water with the bouillon (if you want to mix it with 6 or 8 to get it mixed … then add the extra water… that works great, too, and works well with a large pyrex 8 cup mixing container). If there’s room with the hot water, add the #gardein beefless tips. If not, no biggie.
When the veggies are cooked but still a bit firm, add the water, bouillon, beefless tips, 2 tablespoons dried parsley, 1-2 tsp white pepper, 1 tsp salt, 1-2 tsp garlic powder. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for another 10 minutes
Next, add the cooked barley. Bring to a strong simmer, then back off just a bit. Let it cook to combine about 10-30 more minutes. More is better for flavor, but keep the heat at a slow simmer and stir frequently.
Start things off with a big salad, and you’ve got a great meal.
Enjoy!
Oh – and here are a couple of pictures of the vegan ingredients…
