Community Food Co-op

Voted Bellingham's best grocery store. Full-service deli, hot bar, salad bar featuring organic, local, and natural foods. Everyone can shop, anyone can join. Co+op, stronger together.

Welcome! Everyone can shop the Community Food Co-op!
360-734-8158|
  • menu bar three linesMENU
    • Shop Online
    • Hours & Locations
      • Community Food Co-op, Downtown Store, 1220 North Forest Street at Holly StreetDowntown Store
        1220 North Forest Street at Holly Street
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
      • Cordata Co-Op exteriorCordata Store
        315 Westerly Road at Cordata Parkway
        Bellingham, Washington
        7 am - 9 pm
        360-734-8158
    • In Our Stores
      • Celebrating Our Co-op’s 50th Anniversary
      • Community Rooms
      • Customer Input
      • How to Shop
      • Dirty Dozen / Clean 15
      • Service Desk
      • What’s on Sale?
      • Contact Us
    • Departments
      • Bakery
      • Bulk
      • The Co-op Bakery Cafe
      • Dairy & Refrigerated
      • Deli & Deli To Go
      • Floral & Garden
      • Grocery
      • Meat & Seafood
      • Mercantile
      • Produce
      • Specialty Cheese
      • Wellness
      • Wine, Beer, & Spirits
    • About Us
      • Awards
      • Co-op Blog
      • Magazine & E-news
      • Our History
      • Strategic Plan
      • Sustainability at the Co-op
      • Vision, Mission, and Values
      • Contact Us
    • Community Giving
      • Community Shopping Days
      • Donations & Sponsorships
      • Donate at our Registers
      • Farm Fund
      • The Real Food Show
    • Join Us
      • Become a Co-op Member • Join Today!
      • Board of Directors
      • Employment
      • Local Business Partners
      • Sell to the Co-op
    • Recipes
      • Recipes
      • Cooking Videos
  • What’s on Sale?
  • Bakery Online Orders
  • Shop Online
  • Careers
  • Join Today!
  • Cooking Classes
  • Hours and Locations
You are here: Home / Archives for stew

Thai Vegetable Stew

by Dreena Burton, Cookbook Author and Food Blogger

February 2020
bowl of vegan thai vegetable stew with visible chucks of tofu, yams, red peppers, and herbs and veggies

This beautifully flavored Thai Vegetable Stew is brimming with vegetables and tofu in a creamy peanut-coconut sauce that is not too rich or heavy. Sure to become a favorite!

Recipe reprinted from Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton, published by BenBella Books.

Photo courtesy of Dreena Burton.

Thai Vegetable Stew

Serves 4–5
vegan, gluten-free

INGREDIENTS
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons water
  • 2 cups diced onion
  • 5 medium-large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 to 2 1/2 cups cubed yams or sweet potatoes, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more if you like the heat
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped zucchini
  • 1 cup chopped red, orange, or yellow pepper
  • 2 cups vegetable stock
  • 3/4 to 1 cup water
  • 1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter, almond, or cashew butter
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1/2 to 1 12-ounce package firm or extra-firm tofu cubed, about 3/4” (see note)
  • 6 to 8 cups fresh baby spinach leaves (see note)
  • 2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • fresh cilantro for serving, optional
  • lime wedges for serving
METHOD
  1. In a soup pot over medium heat, add the water, onion, garlic, yams, salt, coriander seeds, and red pepper flakes. Cover and let cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. While cooking, prepare the lemongrass. Cut off the lower yellow bulbous portion (about halfway), and remove the outer tough leaves (discard outer leaves along with upper portion of stalk). Using your chef’s knife, bruise this bulbous portion. Cut a few shallow slits in the stalk and then use pressure from your knife to open and bruise the stalk to help release its flavors (do not chop the stalk, keep in one piece).
  3. Add the lemongrass, zucchini, bell pepper, stock, water, coconut milk, peanut butter (start with 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon), tamari, and fresh ginger.
  4. Stir through and increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil.
  5. Once it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low/medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. After this time, add the tofu (see note) and gently stir through.
  7. Simmer covered for another 3 to 5 minutes, or longer until yams have completely softened and can be easily squished.
  8. Add the fresh spinach and lime juice (start with 2 1/2 tablespoons, and add more if desired), stir through and serve immediately (so spinach stays a vibrant green color).
  9. Taste, and if you’d like a full peanut flavor, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, or more if desired.
  10. Remove piece of lemongrass before serving.
  11. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro if desired, and with a lime wedge to squeeze juices on individual portions.
TOFU NOTE

You can choose to use either the full package of tofu or a lesser amount to your preference. If you’d like a very substantial stew, use the full package (or most of it). If you’d like a lighter stew with fewer pieces of tofu, use roughly half of the package, and refrigerate the remaining tofu (tightly wrapped in plastic).

SUBSTITUTION IDEA

If you don’t care for tofu, add a can of black beans, rinsed and drained; roughly 1 3/4 to 2 cups. The beans will give similar hearty substance as the tofu.

SPINACH NOTE

Do not add the spinach until just ready to serve. If making this soup ahead of time, omit the spinach and then reheat soup, adding the spinach at the last minute and serve!

About the Author

photo of dreena burton seated in our home

Dreena Burton is one of the pioneering vegan cookbook authors. Vegan for more than 25 years, Dreena is also a mom to three “weegans.” She has charted her journey as a plant-based cook and mother of three through five bestselling cookbooks, including her most recent and beloved title Plant-Powered Families. Dreena has also collaborated with renowned plant-based physician Dr. Barnard on The Cheese Trap, and co-authored their most recent Cookbook for Reversing Diabetes.

Specializing in oil-free, whole-foods vegan recipes, Dreena’s secret ingredient is her passion. Reputed for reliability, her recipes bring whole foods together in unexpected ways to yield delicious flavors and rich textures. Dreena’s recipes are regularly featured by groups including Forks Over Knives, Engine 2 Diet, UC Davis Integrative Medicine, Kris Carr, Blue Zones, The Humane Society, and The Food Network.

Connect with Dreena’s online kitchen and community at www.dreenaburton.com.

Tweet

RECIPES gluten free| stew| thai| vegan| vegetable

Savory One Pot Perfection: Sweet & Savory Chorizo Lentil Stew

by Jeremy Meadows, Cordata Deli

lentil stew soup chorizo

This hearty lentil stew makes for a perfect dinner on a chilly evening. It comes together easily in one pot and is a real crowd pleaser. 

Allow me to introduce you to five of my best friends: sweet, salt, sour, bitter, and umami—aka savory (I’d introduce you to smoky too, but he stepped outside for a puff). Now I’m willing to bet that you are already acquainted with these friends of mine. In fact, I’ll bet that they are hanging around your place right now. By themselves, each can be pretty great. But the very best meals are the ones where the whole gang gets together. And preparing great meals is simply a matter of achieving the proper balance between them. Typically, this is accomplished by serving up multiple courses or side dishes—think of the savory deliciousness of barbecued ribs, slathered in a vinegary sauce, with a side of super sweet corn and some slightly bitter collard greens. But for arguably better results, and a much smaller mess to clean up afterward, I like to do everything in one pot.

the very best meals are the ones where the whole gang gets together

Cooking everything together allows the flavors to mingle and deepen, bringing out the best in one another (as all good friends should) and ensuring complexity in every bite. Ever wonder why Thai curries are so good? It’s because Thai cooks have mastered the art of balancing the five flavors in one incredible dish. Perhaps we can’t all aspire to such greatness, but we can all be good cooks. And one-pot cooking is a great way to start.

One-pot lentil stew is easy, relatively mess free, and allows for creativity. I like the smokiness of chorizo in this recipe, but ground pork or turkey would work well. Too salty? Add some sweetness. Too rich? Add some acidity.

Just remember that in cooking, as in our friendships and other endeavors, seeking the proper balance is key.

lentils chorizo
kale leaves
onions fresh

Sweet & Savory Chorizo Lentil Stew

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ to ¾ pounds ground Spanish chorizo
  • 1 large yellow onion, ½-inch dice
  • 4 large carrots, ½-inch dice
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 cups chicken stock (or veggie stock or water)
  • 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
  • 1 pound kale or other hardy green, torn into 2-inch pieces
  • ½ cup dried cranberries (or raisins, currants, or other dried fruit)
  • Large pinch of paprika
  • Large pinch of cumin
  • 1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or rice vinegar
METHOD
  1. Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add chorizo and brown all over, breaking it up into bits. Remove with slotted spoon or spatula, leaving the oil in the pot. Drain on paper towels.
  2. Add onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and soy sauce, and continue to cook, stirring often, until richly caramelized. If the vegetables become too dry, add a little more oil.
  3. Add the chicken stock and lentils and bring to a boil, then turn heat to medium low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, but not mushy (15–20 minutes).
  4. Add the reserved chorizo, along with the paprika and cumin, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes to let the flavors meld. If it seems dry, add more liquid.
  5. Add the kale and cranberries. Cook until kale is wilted and cranberries are plump. Stir in vinegar and enjoy.
Tweet

MEAT & SEAFOOD| RECIPES deli| kitchen| lentils| savory| stew| sweet

Spring Lamb Stew with Farro

by Lisa Samuel, Co-op News contributor

lamb stew, farro, fennel, recipe, whole grain, healthy,

Spring Lamb Stew with Farro

INGREDIENTS
  • ½ pound lamb stew meat
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 leeks, sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
  • ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup white wine
  • 3 ½ cups water or homemade chicken stock without salt
  • 1 cup farro
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
  • Zest of one lemon
METHOD
  1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
  2. Season the lamb stew meat with salt. Place a heavy-bottomed, oven safe pot over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil and then add the lamb in one layer. Let brown well on one side before turning the pieces to brown the other side. Remove the lamb from the pan and place in a bowl.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the other tablespoon of olive oil, the leeks, fennel bulb, salt and red pepper flakes. Sauté about 5 minutes, until vegetables are starting to soften. Add the white wine and stir. Add the water or chicken stock and then stir in the farro. Bring the liquid to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Place a tight-fitting lid on the pot and place the pot in the oven. Let cook for about 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender and the farro is cooked.
  4. Remove from the oven and stir in the peas, tarragon and lemon zest.

See Lisa's column about including more whole grains in your diet.

Tweet

MEAT & SEAFOOD| RECIPES recipe| stew

Categories

  • BAKERY
  • BULK
  • DELI & CATERING
  • EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION
  • FARM FUND
  • FLORAL & GARDEN
  • GROCERY
  • HOLIDAY
  • HOT OFF THE PRESS
  • LOCAL
  • MEAT & SEAFOOD
  • NUTRITION
  • PRODUCE
  • RECIPES
  • SALES
  • SPECIALITY DIET
  • SPECIALTY CHEESE
  • SUSTAINABILITY
  • THE CO-OP DIFFERENCE
  • UNCATEGORIZED
  • WELLNESS
  • WINE, BEER, & SPIRITS
An oven-roasted turkey sits on some lemons ready to be enjoyed for a holiday dinner.

Four Approaches to Cooking Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Should I brine my turkey? Should I let my spouse fry the whole bird this year? How do I achieve a quicker cooking time? We have some turkey-cooking techniques for everyone from the Thanksgiving chef to the person who begrudgingly took on the challenge this year. Oven Roast Oven roasting [...]
thanksgiving dinner spread

Our Guide to Holiday Turkeys Available at the Co-op

All the turkeys available for purchase at the Co-op are from Mary’s Turkeys. Choose from three fresh, never-frozen turkeys: natural, organic, and heritage.

A plate of vegan Thanksgiving food, such as plant-based loaf and cranberry sauce, ready to be enjoyed for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Turkey Alternatives

Not a turkey fan? Accommodating dietary restrictions? We’ve got you covered with nine turkey alternatives — both plant-based and meat-forward! PLANT-BASED Plant-Based Holiday Roasts In-house Vegan Holiday Loaf This delicious housemade loaf is made with chickpeas, oats, vegetables, and mushrooms then glazed with a sauce full of classic Thanksgiving ingredients! [...]

enews-sign-up-image

get connected and save - click here to sign up for our e-news

DOWNTOWN STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 6 pm

CORDATA STORE & DELI • map • 360-734-8158 • 7 am – 9 pm
meat and deli counter: 7 am – 7 pm
made-to-order counter: 7 am – 6 pm
salad/hot bar: 7 am – 7 pm

Facebook Instagram Twitter TikTok

Machine Readable Files

Copyright © 2023 Community Food Co-op