Vegan White Bean, Kale & Sausage Stew with Garlic, Rosemary & Lemon

After being away on holiday for over 2 weeks in Switzerland, I feel like I normally do after a long vacation. A bit depleted, a bit jet lagged & ready to be embrace a healthier routine. I did my best over Christmas not to over do it too much...but it`s inevitable (especially without access to a gym when I'm staying with my brother) that I'm not going to feel at the top of my game by the time I am home. It's all worth it though. It was great to connect with my family over a lot of great food and ohhhhh...the cocktails...there were ugh...lets say a few. 

I wasn't sure how the vegan thing was going to play out, but most restaurants had something I could order, and a few times my expectations were exceeded (doesn't happen often). Richard and his girlfriend Phoebe went out of their way more than once with meals so that I could enjoy too. I didn't expect it, but it was really nice. Sometimes vegan food sucks, but what I'm constantly being reminded of (and I think in turn other people learn by trying something I'm having like my niece did during the visit), is that oh, that's vegan? and it's delicious? Yeah...that's what I'm saying! Anyway the whole point of this pre recipe rant is that I need to nourish my body ASAP. OK so it IS January, and it's a storm day on PEI, so while yes I want healthy, I also want my meal to be warm & comforting. This recipe definitely does the trick. 

I created this meal using beyond meat sausages. I think most people have probably heard of this product by now. In Fredericton NB, I found them at Victory Meat Market. In PEI I haven't noticed any in stores, but I was able to buy them through Sysco because I work at a restaurant. (Not ideal because they come in a giant case) I also saw them in Switzerland at the local grocery store. If you can track some down it's worth it.
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Beyond meat sausages are one of the most convincing meat alternative products I've tried. They really are spiced like a real meat sausage, and the texture is on point too. I really can't wait to see what the next 10 years bring in terms of vegan product development. I know one thing, it's going to get better and better. 

This stew is :

•  Hearty
•  Satisfying
•  Simple
•  Meaty
•  Delicious 
•  Comforting
•  Best served with Crusty bread for dunking
•  Flavoured with Red Wine, Rosemary, Lemon, Olive oil, Garlic & Smoked Paprika
  

When I make soup even if I'm consulting a recipe, I never follow it to a T. One must taste, adjust, balance. Next time I'll probably add even more garlic to this stew because I'm a huge fan of garlic. Maybe I'll add a touch more smoked paprika and use dried herbs if I don't have fresh. Maybe your fresh herbs aren't so fresh and therefore less potent meaning you need to add a bit more. A recipe can never replace your taste buds, and we all taste differently. Roll with it.

The Recipe:

Serves: Approximately 6 people

Ingredients:

•  1 large onion, small dice
•  1 carrot, small dice
•  1 celery stalk, small dice
•  8 cloves garlic, chopped
•  pinch of chile flakes
•  heaping soup spoon full of tomato paste
•  1/3 bottle red wine
•  6 cups veg stock (maybe a bit more to thin)
•  4 beyond meat vegan sausages, sliced into coins or chunks.
•  1 large bunch of kale, shredded
•  2 cans white beans (I also have made it successfully with red kidney beans)
•  1 - 2 tbsp minced fresh rosemary,
•  1.5 lemons, juice of
•  a few glugs of olive oil
•  1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Method:

1.  Sautee onion, celery, carrot, garlic & a pinch of chile flakes in a soup pot with some veg oil. I start with a bit of oil and add more if it's sticking. Season with salt and pepper.
2.  Deglaze with red wine & add tomato paste. Stir around & cook everything out for a couple   minutes.
3.  Add vegetable stock & rosemary. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.
4.  While your veg stock is coming to a boil, cook the sausages. Heat a pan (I used a cast iron pan) to sauté sausage in. Brown slices on each side, then add into your soup pot with all the pan juices. 
5.  Now you can add canned beans & season with lemon juice, olive oil, smoked paprika, salt & pepper
6.  Simmer/reduce for about 50 minutes. The idea is to concentrate flavour and also to evaporate enough liquid so it thickens and seems more stew like. 
7.  Adjust seasonings to taste. (Something I always keep in the back of my head is that lemon juice kind of acts like salt, it makes the flavours pop. If you think you've added enough salt but the flavour isn't making your taste buds happy, it might just need some acid aka some brightness )
8.  Now for the Kale. If a bunch of people are going to eat this stew for a meal I would add the entire bunch in at the end, 10 minutes or so before eating. You don't want it to turn brown and bleh so it needs to go in at the end. Ideally you serve it while it's still bright, vibrant green. ................. I typically am eating one serving at a time, so I will heat up one portion of my stew in a small sauce pan with a bit more veg stock, and add a small handful of kale to that while heating it up. That's exactly how we would do it in the restaurant to order. 
9.  Crusty bread along side is a must