Slow cooker vegan stew

Who says veggies can’t be meaty? Packed with hearty root vegetables, this simple slow cooker stew is as meaty as I could ever wish a dish to be. Easy, warming, and filling, what else does a winter meal need? Bonus, this easy slow cooker vegan vegetable stew is almost sure to yield equally cozy and comforting leftovers!

Don't you just love it when leftovers deliver that extra layer of flavorful richness, as well as the sheer joy of time saved? This is that kind of meal. The welcoming crockpot, like most slow cooker meals, invites just about anything hanging about in your pantry and fridge, transforming it into bounty. In short, it lightens your load for days.

I’ve been thinking about the word ‘leftovers’ and the way it gets bandied about in less than flattering ways. Even in a culinary context, leftovers quickly go from being a delight to scoffed as spoils. Outside of the kitchen, the attitude extends all the way to people. You might even call out the way taking on someone else’s leftovers is regarded as casual discrimination. It’s about time we change that. Let’s make leftovers love and pride the norm.

I love to cook. Love, love, love it. I love to eat what I cook, too, most of the time. But at heart, I am and always will be a shameless leftovers kind of girl. I love upcycling, recycling, and especially hand-me-downs. What’s not to love about hand-me-downs? Accepting them means getting to benefit from someone else’s superior taste while supporting a sustainable ethos for the planet and avoiding something I hate and frankly stink at…which is clothes shopping. Even when it comes to failed relationships, the result is progress, right? They may leave us feeling that bit more broken, but stronger for wisdom and clarity. Leftovers for the win, all around.

There is so much tension in the world today. Maybe it has always been that way. But even as we move out of some dark tunnels with light in sight, there’s a lot we struggle to calmly talk about. So many attempts at conversation over the past year have disintegrated in emotion, and it’s very tempting—and sometimes very wise—to avoid picking them up again, ever. But maybe instead we might let them mellow a little. Perhaps we even stash them in the freezer, just for a time. Let the spices settle and mingle. Take them out, defrost them, and let ourselves be surprised by their deliciousness. Love, friends. xo

Slow Cooker Vegan Stew

1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, diced
2-3 celery sticks, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium-large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 large gold potatoes, cubed
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 15-ounce can cannellini or kidney beans
1 cup frozen (or fresh) green beans or peas
1 cup red wine
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 cup sliced mushrooms, any kind
4 cups vegetable stock or broth
1 Tablespoom tamari sauce
1/4 Cup flour

Combine all ingredients (except flour) in the slow cooker and cook for 8 hours on low or 4 on high. Stir in the flour toward the end to thicken.