Southern Veggie Boil

Inspired by a traditional low country seafood boil, this vibrant stew cooks a handful of veggies in a tangy, buttery broth spiked with Old Bay seasoning. Feel free to switch up the veggies you use. Serve this beauty on a warm (or cold) evening with … — Inspired by a traditional low country seafood boil, this vibrant stew cooks a handful of veggies in a tangy, buttery broth spiked with Old Bay seasoning. Feel free to switch up the veggies you use. Serve this beauty on a warm (or cold) evening with some crusty bread and a chilled bottle of your favorite light beer. (Photo source: Jared Kent)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 35 minutes |

Ingredients

10 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or water (or a mix of both)

2 lemons, quartered

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (or another crab seasoning mix)

12 ounces baby potatoes, cut in half (small Yukon gold or red potatoes would also work)

2 ears of corn, husked and halved

1 large white onion, quartered

1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks

4 stalks celery, cut into large chunks

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 ounces vegan butter

1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped, stems included

salt to taste (you won’t need much, the Old Bay is salty)

1 loaf of crusty bread, sliced and toasted (or if you’re feeling ambitious, some homemade cornbread)

Preparation

In a large pot, bring the vegetable stock to a medium boil with two wedges of lemon, the bay leaf, cayenne pepper, black pepper, paprika, and Old Bay seasoning.

Allow to boil with a tight-fitting lid for five minutes, then remove the lemon from the pot.

First, add the potatoes to the boiling liquid and return the cover to the pot. Allow the potatoes to boil for 5 minutes.

Next, add the corn and the onions and boil for five more minutes. (Break up the onion quarters a little so you get petals.)

Finally, add the bell pepper, celery, and garlic and boil for five more minutes. In total, the veggies should boil for 15 minutes, check the potatoes to ensure they’re soft.

Once the veggies are done boiling, add the butter and parsley into the pot and stir to melt the butter.

Squeeze two wedges of fresh lemon into the pot and season to taste with salt, be careful not to oversalt, the Old Bay is naturally salty.

To serve, ladle the veggies into bowls with a good amount of the broth in the bottom. Serve with remaining lemon wedges and slices of toasted bread to soak up the liquid.

Zero-waste tips

• Feel free to add any other veggies you have on hand, such as carrots, cauliflower, or mushrooms into the boil.

• Save the leaves of the celery to put into salads, or chop them up with the parsley