French Tomato-Tarragon Stew and Golden Gazpacho

Not only is whole-food vegan eating healthful, it's delicious, too. 27 recipes illustrate an appetizing and diverse array of foods you can make from beans, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains. Here's two of them.

French Tomato-Tarragon Stew

This stew uses a simple herbal gravy flavored with chervil, chives, parsley, and tarragon, the four fines herbes of French seasoning. Searing uses high heat for a short time to brown food on the outside, sautéing uses medium heat for a longer time to cook food on the inside.

½ tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 or 3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) package wild mushrooms, such as button, chanterelle, crimini,
portobello, or shiitake
1 (15-ounce) can cooked squash
1 (16-ounce) can small white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 cups water
3 tablespoons whole grain flour
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons dried chervil
2 teaspoons dried chives
1/2 cup fresh tarragon, chopped

Add extra virgin olive oil, onion, and carrots to a large soup pot, bring to high heat to sear for 5 minutes, then lower to medium heat, add remaining ingredients, and sauté for 15 minutes.

Golden Gazpacho

The raw or "live" ingredients in this recipe undergo no cooking, so their vitamins, enzymes, and health-boosting fiber stays intact. Make these gazapachos on hot summer days to help keep your kitchen cool.

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 green pepper, 1 yellow pepper, and 1 orange pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 (15-ounce) can pigeon peas, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 bunch fresh parsley, sliced
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 (15.5-ounce) can pineapple chunks in unsweetened pineapple juice, undrained
1 tablespoon unsweetened frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients, mix thoroughly, and serve chilled.

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