We are supposed to get some snow in the next few days so I thought of making a nice stew!
I am not sure why but the idea of making a vegan bourguignon came to mind! Maybe it was because we happened to have Gardein’s beefless tips in the freezer and they are the perfect addition to this dish!
Traditional Beef bourguignon
This is a traditional dish from the French region of Burgundy. It is a heavy meat stew that Julia Child and Amy Adams immortalized in the movie Julie and Julia. Mostly made of chunks of beef, some bacon dotted with a few potatoes and carrots slow cooked in a wine sauce.
This recipe, on the other hand, is all vegetables with a little veggie meat for texture and a great wine sauce!
So I am happy to say that no animals were harmed in the making of this dish!
So you get a hearty stew with rich earthy flavors.
Unlike the traditional recipe that has to slow cook for hours, this recipe can be made in about an hour.
If you have time and want a thicker stew, you can simmer it longer. You may want to double the recipe because it will taste even better the next day and can be frozen too!
What kind of wine should be used?
It must be red wine, definitely not white!
If you don’t consume alcohol, I recommend any of Fre’s non-alcoholic red wines, namely the Cabernet Sauvignon, Red blend, or Merlot. This is no grape juice passing as wine. It is a real red wine that has been de-alcoholized. It works perfectly because it has all the body of wine without the headache or buzz! According to a study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data lab cooking wine for 15 minutes will remove 40% of the alcohol. It may take another 30 minutes to completely burn it off.
Gardein’s Beefless tips
This plant-based beef alternative can be found in the vegetable frozen section of most grocery stores. It is made with soy, grains like barley and quinoa, seasonings, and some gluten to hold it together. I don’t usually like packaged seasoned mock meat because there is always something too sweet or too salty but these are just right. Anyway, it is great if you have them but you can also just use white or portobello mushrooms.
It is best to brown the beefless tips first in a teaspoon of oil, then add to the stew right before serving. If you add them too early they can reak down and lose their texture.
Best Vegan Bourguignon
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/3 cup tomato paste or sauce
- 1/2 cup NA red wine
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Vegetables
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 medium potatoes
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 large yellow or white onion
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 12 pieces Gardein's beefless tips (3 pieces per person)
- 1-8 fresh mushrooms (white caps or portobellos) (as a substitute for Gardein's beefless tips)
Instructions
- Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a deep saucepan and brown the beefless tips on all sides. Don't overcook and set aside.
- In the same pan, add another tbsp of oil, chopped onions, and minced garlic, pan fry for a few minutes.
- Add the carrots, salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes
- Sprinkle the flour one tablespoon at a time and stir to coat all vegetables, then add the broth a laddle at a time while stirring to make sure that no flour lumps are created.
- Once all the broth has been stirred in (it should cover all the vegetables), add the tomato paste (or sauce), herbs (bay leaves, smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper) and potato chunks. Cook for 10-15 minutes covered.
- Stir in the wine and simmer for a few minutes until the vegetables are tender and the stew has thickened. Gently fold in the beefless tips
- Taste and season as needed. Serve immediately in soup plates or shallow bowls with French bread.
Notes
Nutrition
