Arrietty’s Tiny Vegetable Stew

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 40 min cook

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 medium carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 lb baby potatoes
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 cup green beans
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 slices crusty bread for serving

Instructions

1. 1Warm the olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat until it shimmers softly. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery, stirring gently until the onion turns translucent and the kitchen fills with a sweet, earthy scent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
2. 2Stir in the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, roughly 45 seconds, taking care not to let it brown. Nestle the halved baby potatoes into the pot along with the thyme sprigs and bay leaf.
3. 3Pour in the vegetable broth, scraping any golden bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let the stew bubble quietly for 18 minutes until the potatoes are nearly tender when pierced with a fork.
4. 4Add the diced zucchini and trimmed green beans. Cover again and continue simmering for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but still hold their cheerful shapes and the broth has taken on a pale golden hue.
5. 5Stir in the frozen peas and cook uncovered for 3 minutes more so they stay bright green and sweet. Taste the broth and season with salt and black pepper until it tastes balanced and comforting.
6. 6Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the thyme stems and bay leaf. Stir in the lemon juice and most of the chopped parsley, saving a little for the top.
7. 7Ladle the stew into deep bowls so the tiny vegetable pieces look like treasures from a borrowed garden. Scatter the remaining parsley over each serving.
8. 8Toast or warm the crusty bread until the edges are lightly golden. Serve the stew alongside the bread for dipping, as if sharing a quiet supper under the floorboards.