Beef Bourguignon is one of my favorite cold weather meals that I make multiple times throughout fall and winter. I've tried several recipes and Ina Garten's is my go-to. It has a ton of flavor and easy instructions.
I've been focusing on eating more plants since January AND it has been cold in Atlanta so I have been craving the flavors and comfort-food-tummy-warming feeling that Beef Bourguignon brings. Using the blueprint of Ina's recipe combined with some flavor boosting ideas from around the web and cookbooks, I've found a very tasty (mostly) veggie substitute.
Omit anchovies, Worcestershire for true vegetarians or anchovies, Worcestershire and butter for vegans. Substitutes listed below.
INGREDIENTS
32 ounces mushrooms, broken into quarters
1 onion
4 carrots
1 bag frozen pearl onions
8 baby yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
3 anchovies, finely minced
40 to 48 ounces mushroom broth, low sodium
1 Tablespoon Coconut Aminos or Soy sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon black garlic seasoning
1 Tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons gluten free flour
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup red wine
Oil for sautéing vegetables
INSTRUCTIONS
Slice the onion in half through the root. Slice half the onion into half moon slivers. Finely mince the other half.
Slice 3 carrots into half inch pieces. Finely mince the 1 remaining carrot.
Add a tablespoon of oil to a heavy bottomed pot and heat to medium high. Sear the mushrooms on both sides. Aim for a dark brown color. Remove to a bowl large enough to hold all the vegetables.
Add a little more oil if needed, so that the pot is not dry, and the finely minced carrot and onion. Remove to the bowl with mushrooms once the onions are translucent and beginning to have a little browning.
Add the remaining carrots and onions, along with any oil needed to keep from burning and cook until the onions are translucent with a little browning. Remove from the pot and reserve with the other vegetables.
Open the mushroom broth and have the cup of red wine handy. Turn the heat to medium low, add butter to the pot. Once melted, whisk in the flour until incorporated. Mash the mixture around with the back of a spoon or spatula to cook the flour 3 minutes. If the mixture seems to be burning turn down the heat.
Add the tomato paste and mash the mixture together, another 3 minutes, cooking it to bring more flavor.
Add the wine and whisk, smoothing out any lumps. Turn the heat to medium and whisk while the mixture cooks a bit, 2 or 3 minutes, reducing the amount of liquid.
Slowly add the broth. Start with 1/2 cup at a time, and increase as the mixture becomes smooth, whisking to dissolve any lumps along the way. You’ll want to use at least 40 ounces and have the extra 8 on hand to add in case the mixture becomes too thick.
Add the reserved vegetables and bring the pot to a boil.
Add in the coconut aminos, Worcestershire, nutritional yeast, pepper, black garlic seasoning and half the tablespoon of salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
TASTE the broth at this point. Decide if you want more salt. It should be a tiny smidge saltier than how you want it at the end because we will cook potatoes in this broth. The potatoes will soak up a lot of flavor and salt.
Add the potatoes and boil 6 to 7 minutes.
Add the frozen pearl onions and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Check a potato and an onion to be sure they are tender and hot throughout. Cook longer if not.
Remove from heat and stir to distribute.
Enjoy with lightly toasted baguette slices and butter.
SUBSTITUTES
Use a butter substitute or oil if you omit butter.
Increase (try doubling) the nutritional yeast and coconut aminos if omitting anchovies and Worcestershire.