Arrietty’s Tiny Vegetable Stew

Serves 4 · 20 min prep · 45 min cook

Estimate for one serving

• 285 cal
• 7g protein
• 42g carbs
• 11g fat
• 7g fiber

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Ingredients

• 2 cups baby carrots
• 1 lb small new potatoes
• 3 celery stalks
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8 oz button mushrooms
• 4 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 4 slices crusty bread for serving

Instructions

1. 1Wash the baby carrots and new potatoes thoroughly under cool water, then pat them dry with a clean cloth so they roast gently later without steaming. Dice the onion and celery into neat little cubes the size a borrower might carry, and mince the garlic until fragrant.
2. 2Warm a heavy Dutch oven or deep 5-quart pot over medium heat and swirl in the olive oil together with the butter until the butter foams and smells nutty. Tip in the onion and celery and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion turns translucent and soft, about 6 minutes.
3. 3Add the minced garlic and tomato paste, stirring constantly for one full minute so the paste darkens slightly and loses its raw edge. Drop in the mushrooms, quartered if large, and let them release their moisture until the pan looks glossy.
4. 4Nestle the whole baby carrots and halved new potatoes into the pot, then pour in the vegetable broth until everything is just submerged. Tuck the thyme sprigs and bay leaf among the vegetables like little forest treasures.
5. 5Bring the stew to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and let it bubble softly for 35 minutes. The potatoes should yield easily when pierced with a fork and the broth should smell earthy and sweet.
6. 6Taste the broth and season with sea salt and black pepper, adjusting until the flavors feel balanced and comforting. Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaf carefully so no woody bits remain.
7. 7Ladle the stew into deep bowls, making sure each serving gets a pretty mix of the tiny vegetables swimming in golden broth. Scatter freshly chopped parsley over the top for a bright green finish that looks like meadow grass.
8. 8Toast the crusty bread slices lightly if desired and set one beside each bowl so diners can dunk and soak up every drop. Serve immediately while the stew is steaming and the kitchen still smells like a hidden garden kitchen.