Top | The Jew and the Carrot

Cholent (Slow-Cooked Stew)

(recipe, Leah Koenig)

Ingredients

1. 2 Tbsp. olive oil
2. 1 large onion, cut into medium dice
3. 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
4. ½ tsp. tarragon
5. 1 tsp. caraway seeds
6. 1 tsp. salt
7. Black pepper to taste
8. ½ cup vegetable broth
9. 2 bay leaves
10. 1 cup peeled and sliced carrots (about ½-inch thick)
11. 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
12. 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
13. 1 (15-ounce) can vegetarian baked beans, including juice
14. 3 cups water
15. 1 cup dark beer, such as porter or stout
16. ½ cup seitan chunks
17. ½ cup bulgur
18. 1 cup green peas (if you use canned, drain them well; if frozen, thaw and drain)

Steps

1. The evening before you plan to eat the dish, preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions in the oil until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic, tarragon, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute more.
2. Deglaze the pot with the vegetable broth. Pour the deglazed mixture into a large crockpot and add the bay leaves, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, baked beans, water, beer, seitan, bulgur, and peas.
3. Set the crockpot on “low” and let it cook away until lunch the next day.