Vegetarian mains
Black bean, mushroom & ginger stew with mash
This mushroom and black bean stew is rich, creamy and very satisfying. Serve it over a hot bed of mashed potato and you have vegetarian/vegan comfort food at its best. This stew is all about layering and developing flavours, and the fresh ginger at the end adds a surprisingly welcome addition. This is one of those feel good recipes that will become a firm favourite as you make again and again.
Cook's notes
Prepare this dish a day or several hours in advance, as resting allows the flavours to develop further, but make sure the ginger is always added just before serving. Use an organic brand of canned black beans without preservatives, so you can use the bean liquid for extra creaminess.
Ingredients
For the mash potato:
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100ml plant-based milk, i.e ReRooted oat or almond milk
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
For the stew:
- 1 white onion, peeled & diced
- 250g mushrooms, quartered
- 5g fresh thyme, stripped from stems & chopped
- 400g tinned black beans, with their liquid
- 2 tbsp tamari (gluten free) or soya sauce
- 40g ginger
- parsley, chopped, to serve (optional)
Method
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Step 1
Bring a medium pan of salted water to boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Drain and return to the pan. Add the rest of the mash ingredients and crush to a soft consistency. Add more plant-based milk and season if needed. Cover to keep warm.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 8-10 minutes or until translucent. Stir in the mushrooms and thyme and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the mushrooms turn golden-brown. Season with salt and pepper.
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Step 3
Add the black beans and their liquid, the tamari/soya sauce and 200ml of water. Let it simmer gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
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Step 4
Peel and finely grate the ginger. Squeeze the juice from the ginger over the black bean stew and mix it well. Discard the ginger pulp.
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Step 5
Spoon the hot mash potato into two serving bowls. Ladle in the stew and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired.