Wishfaery ~ Recipe ~ Hearty Bean and Vegetable Stew

Hearty Bean and Vegetable Stew

In our modern culture, where so many meat products are readily available, we forget that our fore-fathers (and our fore-mothers!) went for months at a time without eating meat. This recipe comes to us from our Vegetarian webmistress. Hint: If you don't have a large crockpot, this works rather well when reducing the quantities by half.

Ingredients:
	1 lb beans, assorted, dry 2 cup vegetable juice 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/3 cup apple or pineapple juice vegetable stock or water 1/2 cup celery -- diced 1/2 cup parsnips -- diced 1/2 cup carrots -- diced 1/2 cup mushrooms -- diced 1 onion -- diced 1 tsp basil, dried 1 tsp parsley, dried 1 bay leaf 3 clove garlic -- minced 1 tsp black pepper -- ground 1 cup rice or pasta -- cooked
Directions: Sort and rinse beans, then soak overnight in water. Drain beans and place in crockpot. Add vegetable juice, wine, soy sauce, and apple or pineapple juice. Cover with vegetable stock or water; the amount added depends on whether you prefer a soup (more liquid) or a stew (less). The juice adds just a tad of sweetness and the soy sauce adds depth and the tang of salt. Cook at high for 2 hours. Add vegetables, herbs, and spices, and cook for 5-6 hours at low until carrots and parsnips are tender. When tender, add rice or pasta and cook for one additional hour. NOTES: For beans use 3 or 4 kinds, such as: black, red kidney, pinto, baby lima, lentil, and green and/or yellow split peas.
Makes 12 servings