Veggie Guinness Stew (Vegan)

magpie diner's Note:

A take on beef & Guinness stew, adapted from a version found on about.com. If you're a huge fan of stout, use two full bottles/cans and don't bother with the broth. This was originally meant to use seitan, but as I stay away from wheat, I've used tofu instead. You can use either in exactly the same way, maybe even tempeh. I prefer to leave out the potatoes and serve over mash instead, but others might prefer as is with some crusty bread on the side. I'm sure any dark beer would make a good sub for Guinness if you have to. As a point of interest, Guinness brewed by Moosehead in St. John NB is vegan, labelled Guinness N.A. According to Barnivore.com, Guinness brewed elsewhere uses isinglass as a fining agent (which is a by- product of the fishing industry), so technically not vegan.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 175 g firm tofu, cubed (small packs)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (I use Braggs)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce (HP Sauce works well)
• 1 tablespoon margarine (such as Earth Balance)
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 medium waxy potatoes, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness stout (ours comes in 440 ml cans)
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 -3 tablespoons flour (start with 2 tbsp if you use reg flour)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Warm the olive oil in a large pan, add in the tofu and soy sauce and saute until slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat, add in the steak sauce and stir until the tofu is lightly coated. Remove the tofu from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3. You should have some oil still in the pot, add in the tbsp of margarine (or a little extra oil), along with the onions, celery, carrots, potatoes and garlic and cook over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions have softened and browned a little.
4. Sprinkle the flour into the pot and stir well to distribute, allow it to cook for about a minute then reduce the heat and slowly add in the Guinness, followed by the broth.
5. Add the thyme, sugar, salt and pepper and stir well.
6. Add the tofu back in and leave everything to simmer until the Guinness reduces and stew thickens, about 40 minutes. Adjust seasoning if desired and enjoy!