Vegan Journey Stew

Ingredients

• 3 dried and smoked jalapeños (chipotles; alternatively dried chili peppers)
• 1 Garlic clove
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 320 ml olive oil (add a little more if needed)
• 200 g Wild rice
• Salt
• 500 g Potatoes
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1 leek stalk
• 100 g frozen green beans
• 0.5 tsp Fennel seeds
• 0.5 tsp Coriander seeds
• 40 g chopped nuts (e.g., almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews)
• 750 ml vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp chopped jalapeños (15 g each)
• Pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the oil, de-stem chipotle peppers and place them in a clean screw-top jar. Peel garlic. Wash thyme sprigs, pat dry, and add to the jar with garlic and peppercorns. Fill the jar with 300 ml olive oil (everything must be fully covered by oil). Seal the jar and let it sit at room temperature for at least 3 days, shaking daily and ensuring everything stays well covered.

2. 2.

   For the vegan journey stew, cook wild rice according to package instructions in boiling salted water until al dente in 35–40 minutes. Drain, rinse, and set aside.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile wash potatoes thoroughly, cover with a little water, salt, and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes; then drain and let steam off. Halve the chili pepper lengthwise, deseed, wash, and finely chop. Clean leek, wash, and cut into 5–6 mm rings.

4. 4.

   Cook green beans in boiling salted water for 1–2 minutes. Then shock with cold water, drain, and remove skins. Toast fennel seeds, coriander, and nuts in a dry pot over medium heat for 3–4 minutes; set aside.

5. 5.

   In the same pot, heat remaining olive oil. Add leek and chili flakes and sauté for 2–3 minutes over medium heat, then remove again. Peel potatoes, cut into ~2 cm cubes, add to the pot with vegetable broth. Add spices and simmer for 5–10 minutes over medium heat.

6. 6.

   Add wild rice, jalapeños, and green beans; simmer together for about 5 more minutes. Season the vegan journey stew with salt, pepper, and 2 tbsp chipotle oil before serving.