Hearty tomato mushroom stew, or what we (eventually) found in the woods

Step 1

Thoroughly clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Cut larger mushrooms into halves, and leave small ones whole.

Step 2

Chop peppers and tomatoes into small pieces.

Step 3

Cut an onion in half lengthwise, and then into strips widthwise.

Step 4

Preheat a heavy bottomed pot or a dutch oven to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of vegan margarine, and stir with a wooden spoon to combine. When margarine is fully melted, add onions to pot. Saute on medium heat for five minutes.

Step 5

Cut garlic roughly, leaving pieces that are big enough to be noticed. Add garlic to pot. Stir, lower heat to medium-low, and saute for another five, until onion changes colour and is no longer translucent. Remove onions and garlic from pot, and set aside.

Step 6

On low heat, add 4 tablespoons of vegan margarine to pot. When margarine is fully melted and hot enough that a drop of flour will start to slowly bubble (but not smoke!), add 5 tablespoons of flour to the pot, whisking constantly with a whisk or a wooden spoon until a thick, rough paste forms. Continue cooking roux, whisking often, for about five minutes. The roux should bubble, thin out, and lose its raw smell. If you're in a hurry, you can proceed to the next stage and nothing will happen. But if you've got time, continue cooking the roux on low heat for another twenty minutes, until it changes its colour to golden - this will lend the stew more depth of flavour.

Step 7

Add onions back to the pot. Add chopped mushrooms, peppers, one cup of broth, red wine and spices. Taste and correct flavours, keeping in mind you've still reserved the lemon.

Step 8

Let stew cook and thicken for 10-15 minutes. While cooking, slowly add up to one more cup of veggie broth. Add lemon juice, taste again and correct flavours if needed.

Step 9

Right before serving, chop parsley and sprinkle on top. Serve stew atop boiled potatoes, rice, or tubular pasta.