Spicy Vegetarian Stew (slow cooker) has a bit of a bite to it. It's also a bit sweet. The combination is terrific.
Spicy Vegetarian Stew is a slow cooker recipe.
Don and I made this scrumptious Spicy Vegetarian Stew while visiting my daughter and her family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin awhile ago. We planned to be out most of the day, so we whipped up this slow cooker recipe to eat when we got home, putting together on-hand ingredients and adding spices that naturally go together.
The spices make it a little spicy and the fruit adds sweetness. I learned about putting sweet with spicy from some of our African friends, who often add dried fruit to their foods. If you make this recipe, be sure to let us know how you like it.
Another recipe that includes dried apricots (and is fabulous) is African Stew. You might like to try one, too.
We ate our Spicy Vegetarian Stew over rice and loved it. When I created the nutrition labels, I was surprised to find there is not much difference in the nutritional values between white rice and brown rice. Brown rice is a little lower in calories and just a bit higher in fiber. I like both of them and tend to eat white rice if I want a milder flavor. What's your preference?
What You Need
Well, of course you need a slow cooker. I have a simple, manual slow cooker, but wouldn't it be nice to have a programmable one? You'll need measuring cups and spoons, a knife and a cutting board, along with a sauté pan. A rice cooker is helpful if you plan to serve it over rice.
Slow Cooker Spicy Vegetarian Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 red pepper chopped, about 1 cup
- 8-10 baby carrots
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic about 2 cloves
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground fennel
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 6-8 red potatoes quartered
- 15 ounces black beans drained and rinsed, if canned
- 14 ounces artichoke hearts drained and quartered
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup dried apricots diced
Instructions
- Sauté the onions in the oil until they are transparent, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add the red peppers and carrots and cook until slightly softened and the carrots begin to turn a bit brown.
- Add all the spices (garlic, cumin, fennel, coriander, red pepper/cayenne, cinnamon, paprika) and sauté about 1 minute to release the flavor.
- Dump this mixture into your crockpot/slow cooker.
- Add the potatoes, beans, artichokes, cherries and vegetable broth and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
- 10 minutes before serving, add the dried apricots and stir.
- Serve hot, by itself, or over rice or greens.
Nutrition
More Slow Cooker Recipes
- Black Eyed Peas & Kale (slow cooker)
- Vegan Brunswick Stew (slow cooker)
- Tomato Red Sauce/Pasta Sauce (slow cooker)
- Slow Cooker Corned Beef & Cabbage
- Chicago Style Italian Beef (Slow Cooker)
Lois Carter Crawford is an author, home chef, health advocate, and food coach who fought her way back from several debilitating health issues, including a moderate heart attack! She discovered that inflammation caused by the food she ate was the underlying cause of most of her health problems and developed a method and tools to help others research their food sensitivities.
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