Mushroom and Potato Stew
Even though we're making this with a barbecue rub, this stew entirely plant-based. The Kansas City BBQ Rub adds earthy warmth that's balanced by buoyant herbaceousness and a sweet base, and these flavors really get the chance to show off when they aren't also in the plate with heavy flavors like smoke and char. Since this IS a barbecue rub, though, we recommend going easy on the salt, because there's already a reasonable amount of salt in there. Taste the dish at the end before serving to see if you need to adjust the salt, but don't add any during cooking time.
Choose from whatever mushrooms you prefer. We had a mix of portobello, white button, shiitake, and cremini. One of our taste-testers said, “I’ve never had such a fancy stew like this before.” And, if you’re planning to store this dish for more than one day and particularly if you’re planning to freeze this, make sure to use a waxy potato, like Yukon gold. Russets are floury potatoes and will turn mealy after a day or two, particularly when frozen. Or, cook the potatoes separately and add them when you’re ready to serve.
1/4 cup vegetable oil, as needed
2 pounds of assorted mushrooms, sliced into thick slices, stems removed if necessary
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes, scrubbed and chopped into one-inch chunks
1 large yellow or red onion, chopped into 1/2 inch dice
2 Tablespoons California Roasted Minced Garlic
3 Tablespoons Kansas City BBQ Rub, divided
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cups vegetable stock
1, 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, with the juice
1 Tablespoon Pennsylvania Pepper, or to taste, divided
1, 5.4-ounce can of full-fat coconut cream (NOT coconut milk)
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt to finish, or to taste
1. Heat some vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over high heat. Add as many sliced mushrooms as can fit comfortably in the bottom of the pot without crowding. Brown for about five minutes, flipping once halfway through. Remove from the pot and continue to add oil and mushrooms until all pieces are brown.
2. Reduce heat to medium high. Add more oil and then stir in the chopped onion; cook until it just starts to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add California Roasted Minced Garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for two more minutes or until everything is fragrant. Reduce heat to low and add 2 Tablespoons Kansas City BBQ Rub. Stir to combine and cook together for about one minute.
3. Pour in apple cider vinegar and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add vegetable stock, diced tomatoes, cooked mushrooms and, if you’re cooking potatoes in the soup, the chunks of potatoes. Season with two teaspoons of Pennsylvania Pepper.
4. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
5. If you want to cook potatoes separately and add them before serving, cook them over medium-high heat in a pot of boiling water while the soup simmers.
6. Uncover the pot and cook for five minutes more, to allow it to reduce a little. If cooking potatoes in the soup, make sure they are tender.
7. Scoop coconut cream out of the can and fully stir it into the stew. Add the remaining Tablespoon of Kansas City BBQ Rub and half of the chopped fresh parsley to the stew. Cook for about five minutes.
8. Before serving, taste and add Fine Sea Salt, if desired, and additional Pennsylvania Pepper.
9. Serve, adding potatoes to the bottom of the bowl before ladling in soup, if they have been cooked separately. Top each bowl with a garnish of chopped fresh parsley.
