Food & Drink

Succotash Stew

A new cookbook shows how to upgrade the beloved Southern side dish to a hearty main event

Photo: Timothy Pakron


“Succotash is a Southern medley of lima beans, corn, and other mixed vegetables,” says Timothy Pakron in his new cookbook, Mississippi Vegan. “This recipe transforms that simple side dish into a hearty vegetable stew. Loaded with shredded cabbage, carrots, green beans, and, of course, lima beans and corn, this soup is a total crowd pleaser. Garnish with fresh cherry tomatoes and a scoop of fluffy rice for a delightful supper.”


Ingredients

    • ½ cup olive oil

    • 3 cups shredded cabbage (about ½ head)

    • 1 large onion, chopped

    • 2 cups chopped celery (about 3 large stalks)

    • 1 cup corn kernels, fresh (about 2 ears) or frozen

    • 1 cup chopped carrots

    • 1 cup chopped (⅓-inch pieces) green beans

    • ⅓ cup chopped garlic

    • 1 tablespoon sea salt, or to taste

    • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste

    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

    • 2 tablespoons dried thyme

    • 2 tablespoons dried parsley

    • 1 tablespoon dried oregano

    • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

    • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

    • 2 tablespoons onion powder

    • 2 tablespoons garlic powder

    • 3 tablespoons tamari or coconut aminos

    • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar

    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

    • 6 cups vegetable broth

    • 6 large dried bay leaves

    • 3 cups baby lima beans, fresh or frozen

    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

    • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves

    • 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes


Preparation

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Throw in the cabbage, onion, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes.

  2. Add the corn, carrots, green beans, and garlic and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the salt, black pepper, sugar, dried thyme, dried parsley, dried oregano, pepper flakes, if using, and nutritional yeast and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes until fragrant.

  3. In a small bowl, mix together the onion powder, garlic powder, tamari, vinegar, and tomato paste. Mix until well combined. Add this along with the broth, 4 cups of filtered water, the bay leaves, and lima beans. Mix well.

  4. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and partially cover with a lid. Cook until the lima beans are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Give it a taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the fresh oregano, parsley, thyme, and cherry tomatoes. Cook for a final 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Serve garnished with fresh parsley to make it super pretty.

  5. Tip: If using fresh corn kernels, don’t even think about tossing the cobs! They’re loaded with flavor. Throw them in the stew once all of the liquid has been added. This will provide a buttery, rich flavor to the stock. When ready to serve, simply remove the cobs.

Reprinted from Mississippi Vegan by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2018, Timothy Pakron


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