Kathy's Veggie Pasta Stew!

I created this Veggie Pasta Stew recipe a few weeks ago. I served it with fresh crusty bread. It was supposed to be the starter course. Between my husband and I, we ate the entire pot of stew for dinner. Cancel the main coarse - this was it! We were in stew heaven. (you may recall, I twitpic'd)

The next day I needed this soup again! The great part is that you can change up the type of beans, greens and veggies you use to give the recipe a fresh face each time you make it. This is a one-pot wonder recipe that is packed with veggies, grains, protein and more. Get my recipe..

Actually a Stewp?.. Is this a soup or a stew? I don't know. I think it's more of a stewp. But I'll leave the terminology up to Rachael Ray.

What's in this stew? A lot! Everything you may be craving in a warm, hearty bowl of stew...

potatoes
beans
leafy greens
hearty veggies (mushrooms, onions, tomatoes)
spices and herbs
tender fusilli pasta curls

Faster than you think.. You can easily whip this soup up in an hour - and it will be delicious! (The longer the soup simmers, the more the flavor will develop, but in an hour this soup is delish!)

Feel Better Stew. This is the perfect stew/soup if you are feeling a cold coming on. It is vibrant and brothy with soft gentle noodles and veggies. Add more veggie broth if you want a thinner consistency.

Kathy's Veggie Pasta Stew
vegan

4 ounces sliced mushrooms (I used shiitake)
1 medium tomato
1 large sweet onion
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic
2 bay leaves
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
2 tablespoon Italian Herbs
1 potato, diced
⅓ cup nutritional yeast or ¼ cup vegan cheese
1 cup dry fusilli pasta
⅓ cup leftover roasted tomato salsa
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 can of beans, drained (I used white cannellini beans)
6 ounces leafy greens (spinach, kale, chard, collard..)

optional: a few dashes of cayenne for added heat.

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, add the onions, tomato, mushrooms, garlic and olive oil. Stir and saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent.

2. Add in all the remaining ingredients (except the beans and leafy greens). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover with lid. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Do a few taste tests midway through and check on the salt/spice levels.

3. When you are just about ready to serve the soup, you can add in the beans and greens. Adding the last keeps them tender and not mushy. If you want your greens a bit more hearty, use kale or collard. Spinach wilts very easily.

4. Serve warm! With a nice slice of crusty bread.