A Hearty Vegetable Stew

Fall is in the air, even in sunny, Southern California. Having spent the last few days at Disneyland I find my day filled with unpacking, laundry and various other chores – grocery shopping will have to wait until tomorrow. Tonight we are having a hearty vegetable stew made from pantry ingredients and a few fresh veggies that were hanging out in the veggie bin.

Hearty Vegetable Stew will vary depending on which ingredients you have on hand. Tonight I am using:

2, 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes (Can substitute with a jar of chunky marinara sauce)
1, 16 ounce carton organic broth (vegetable, chicken or beef)
1, 15 ounce can of beans, drain and rinse (green beans, black beans, pinto beans, butter beans, etc.)
2 ½ to 3 cups fresh vegetables, cut into large dice - (Tonight I used: 1 zucchini, 1/3 red capsicum, 1/3 orange capsicum, 1/3 yellow capsicum, 1/2 sweet onion, 1 large carrot)
1/2 – 3/4 cup small size pasta noodle -(As I didn’t have any ‘smaller’ noodles I used Cappelletti noodles [a round pasta that looks like a button] – I placed the dry noodles in a re-sealable bag and gently broke the pasta into smaller pieces by lightly tapping with a meat mallet.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Start with a large skillet. Add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add diced vegetables and cook until they begin to soften slightly. Drain beans and add to vegetables. Add approximately 1 teaspoon of salt and some fresh ground pepper. In a larger pot, pour in the diced tomatoes (un-drained), broth and Ketchup. Ketchup may seem like a strange ingredient to put into a soup but I like the way it works as a thickener and it also adds great flavor at the same time. (No – I am not one of those people who puts Ketchup on everything – I don’t even use it on my French fries – but I do like it for sauces and a few odd uses which you will discover in other recipes). Add Italian Seasoning and stir to mix. Add in the vegetable/bean mixture and stir. Taste to correct seasoning. Bring to a simmer and add pasta. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Continue to cook over low heat for approximately 20 minutes or until vegetables are completely cooked and pasta is al dente.

I like to serve this hearty vegetable stew with a thick slab of bread and some slices of cheese. Tonight we are having Italian herbed bread and some sliced Gouda cheese on the side.

Now all we need is a fire in the fireplace! (Not for heat – but for fall ambiance)