Vegetable-Cashew Stew Recipe

This super healthy stew is made unique by adding a handful of raisins and whole cashews. Sounds funny, I know, but once you try it, I trust that you'll agree that all of the ingredients go together beautifully.

This vegetable-cashew stew is rich in a number of phytonutrients, most notably, beta-carotene and indole-3-carbinole. Translation: eating plenty of this stew should decrease your risk of just about every chronic disease that we know of.

Makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped carrots
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped into bite-size chunks
1/2 cup whole raw cashews
1/2 cup raisins (dark)
1/3 cup rice, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tomato paste
6 cups vegetable broth
Sea salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook carrots, cabbage, and onion in olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat; stir occasionally and cook until carrots are tender - about 10 minutes.

2. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk vegetable broth and tomato paste in a bowl.

3. When carrots are tender, add vegetable broth and tomato paste mix to soup pot, bring to a boil, stir in apples and rice. Reduce heat, cover pot, and let simmer until rice is tender but firm - about 30 to 35 minutes.

4. Stir in cashews and raisins. Cover and let cook for about 10 more minutes, or until rice is tender and raisins are plump.

5. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Enjoy this delightfully unique vegetable-cashew stew. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and when re-heating over subsequent days, add a little vegetable broth or water to thin down if desired, as this soup thickens over time.