Hearty Vegetable Stew

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus more for serving)
• 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped)
• 3 large garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 celery ribs (coarsely chopped)
• 2 carrots (sliced into thin rounds)
• 3 Yukon gold potatoes (cubed)
• 1 large red bell pepper (cored and coarsely chopped)
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with their juices
• 32 ounces 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 cup chopped parsley leaves and tender stems (from about 3/4 bunch)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 lemon (juiced)

Steps

1. 1

   Soften the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy cooking pot over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, and bell pepper. Season with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened some, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. 2

   Boil. Add the peas, tomatoes and their juices, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Simmer. Lower the heat and cover the pot partway (allow an opening on top). Simmer until the vegetables are fully tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.

4. 4

   Thicken (optional). Turn off the heat. If you want a thicker stew, take an immersion blender and blend it ever so briefly so that some parts of the soup are pureed but the majority remains in large chunks. Alternatively, you puree one cup of the stew in a blender (let it cool a bit first), then return it to the pot.

5. 5

   Finish and serve. Stir in the parsley, red pepper flakes (if using), and lemon juice. Transfer to serving bowls and finish each bowl with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!