We made this dish once in 2021 and I was not a total fan. It was merely okay. Obviously I had forgotten that I did not really care for it when I suggested it this week as one of our vegan/vegetarian entrees.

This time, however, we worked on it to make it a much better dish. First we added extra vegetables – carrots, celery, poblano and red bell peppers, and mushrooms. Instead of two cans of plain diced tomatoes, we added one can of Rotel and one can of Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes with garlic. Then with the addition of a tablespoon of smoky paprika and a tablespoon of vinegar we were almost done.

The final touches to our dish were to add a base of raw kale to complement the cooked kale in the stew, a drizzle of olive oil, and a good squirt of sriracha. Now we had a dinner worth the time and trouble it took to make it! You can find the original recipe here but I really recommend trying the tweaks I suggested.