Mediterranean Vegetable and Bean Stew

Recipe from Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking: More Than 150 Nourishing Recipes That Practically Make Themselves; $17.95; 296 pages; copyright © Carla Kelly, 2011. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment, LLC.

Bursting with produce and tasting of summer, yet warm, comforting, and substantial enough to stand up to any chill in the air, this stew is perfect when served with a loaf of crusty bread for dunking. It’s easy to assemble; you can forget it as it cooks. I like the visual appeal of varied bean sizes and shapes. Use whatever beans you have; you want a variety of them totaling 1 cup. Soak the beans separately or the black beans will turn everything purple! This is extra nice if you drizzle with a little homemade or store-bought pesto for a true Mediterranean touch.

1. Combine the ingredients from the onion through the stock in the slow cooker; stir well.

   Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 7 hours, or until the beans are just tender. Drain, return the beans and vegetables to the slow cooker.

   Add the the ingredients from the zucchini through the tomato paste; stir to combine.

   Cook for 2 hours, or until the vegetables are tender yet still firm.

   Stir in the basil and parsley. Remove the bay leaf.

   Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.