Veggie Stew & Mashed Potatoes

I've been eating a lot of cold foods lately like salads, coleslaws, wraps, paté on crackers, etc. so tonight I was in the mood for something warm and comforting. A stew was in order. I was looking for something rich and thick that I can serve over creamy mashed potatoes.


I was a little hasty to get this picture but I think if I simmered a little longer, it would have been thicker than this. I had a little sample and the taste was really nice. Red wine and miso paste are such great flavor combination. I will be having a much larger portion at dinner time.

Vegetable Stew with Red Wine and Miso

4 TB olive oil
1 onion, cut in half and then quartered
1 cup baby carrots
1 celery stick, sliced
1 small eggplant, cut into chunks
1 zucchini, diced into half moons
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup red wine
1 tsp red miso paste
1 14oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 tsp summer savory (If you don't have this, you can use thyme or marjoram.)
2 tsp cornstarch mixed with a little water to dissolve
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 TB of the olive oil in a pot and saute the onion, carrot and celery on medium high heat until onions start to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Remove vegetables from pot and set aside. Add 2 TB more oil into the pot and add the eggplant and zucchini and saute until eggplant starts to brown. Add the onion/carrot/celery back into the pot and pour in the vegetable broth. Mix the tsp. of miso paste into the 1/2 cup of wine and stir to dissolve. Add this mixture to the pot. Crush tomatoes in a bowl with your fingers to break them up and add them plus the juice into the pot. Add the summer savory, cornstarch mixture, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes with lid on. Remove lid and simmer for 20 more minutes or until all vegetables are tender and stew has thickened. Season with more salt and pepper if desired. Stew will thicken more as it sits.