🍲🌱 September is here, and the days are slowly starting to cool! It is the perfect time to make the most of seasonal vegetables and turn them into something warm, nourishing and comforting. From leafy greens and cabbage to potatoes, carrots and mushrooms, there are plenty of humble vegetables ready to become a delicious bowl of homemade goodness.
🥬🥔🫘 And when it comes to hearty seasonal cooking, beans are a wonderful addition. They add texture, nourishment and plenty of flavour, making them the perfect partner for all those vegetables in this comforting Galician vegan stew.
🌱🍲 Rubén joined A Grandchild in My Kitchen, Grandma Sita’s cooking challenge where family recipes from around the world are given a delicious plant-based twist. Together, they cook this vegan recipe inspired by the popular “Caldo Galego” — literally “Galician soup” — a much-loved soup-come-stew from Galicia in northwest Spain.
💚 Caldo Galego has many variations depending on the region, the season and the family cooking it. Traditionally made with seasonal vegetables, leafy greens, potatoes and beans, it is the kind of comforting dish that brings simple ingredients together in one big pot. Grandma Sita’s version keeps that spirit while giving this traditional Galician favourite a delicious vegan twist.
🥣 So, grab your seasonal vegetables, gather your beans and let’s cook a big pot of comforting Galician vegan stew — nourishing, delicious and made with less waste, the Grandma Sita way!
INGREDIENTS
1 bunch of grelos or kale, chopped (If you can’t find grelos, you can use kale as an alternative.)
1 small white cabbage, chopped
4–6 small potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cans of cooked beans, drained and rinsed
1 tray of mushrooms, sliced
2 small onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 bay leaves (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil, for sautéing
3 teaspoons sweet paprika
A pinch of salt and black pepper, to taste
Galician wheat bread or artisan bread, to serve (optional)
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s note: Grelos, the leafy greens of turnips, are a traditional ingredient in Caldo Galego. As they are not always easy to find, we have used kale as an alternative in this recipe. If you can find grelos, don’t hesitate to use them! And if not, you can choose any other seasonal leafy green you have to hand.
METHOD
1. Prepare the vegetables. Wash all the vegetables well. Chop the kale and cabbage, peel and chop the carrots, and finely chop the onions and garlic. Wash the potatoes and cut them in half.
2. Cook the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Gently sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for several minutes. Stir in the sweet paprika and mix well.
3. Start the stew. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a large pot. Add the potatoes and carrots and stir for a few minutes. Cover the vegetables with water and add the bay leaves, if using.
4. Add the greens. Bring to the boil, then cook for around 20 minutes. Add the kale and white cabbage and continue to simmer over medium heat until the vegetables start to soften.
5. Bring everything together. Add the cooked beans and the mushroom mixture to the pot. Cook for a further 10 minutes over a gentle heat. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Once all the vegetables are tender, remove from the heat.
6. Serve and enjoy! Ladle the Galician vegan stew into bowls and serve hot with a slice of Galician wheat bread or artisan bread, if you like.
👵💚 Grandma Sita’s tips
- 🫘 Make a big batch. This Galician vegan stew is even better when you have a generous pot to enjoy over several days. It is perfect for batch cooking, saving you time and helping you make the most of your vegetables.
- 🥬 No grelos? No problem! Traditional Caldo Galego is often made with grelos, the leafy tops of turnips. They can be difficult to find outside northwest Spain, so feel free to use kale, spinach, chard, collard greens or other seasonal leafy greens instead. The important thing is to use plenty of greens!
- 🥕 Use what you have. This is a wonderfully flexible recipe. Swap or add seasonal vegetables such as leeks, pumpkin, courgettes or extra carrots. Slightly tired vegetables that are still fresh and safe to eat are perfect for a comforting stew like this.
- 🍄 Give mushrooms plenty of room. Cook them over a reasonably high heat and avoid overcrowding the pan. This helps them release their moisture and develop a deeper, richer flavour before adding them to the stew.
- 🌶️ Don’t burn the paprika. Sweet paprika can become bitter if it gets too hot. Stir it into the mushrooms briefly and then add the mixture to the pot.
- 🥔 Cut vegetables into similar-sized pieces. This helps the potatoes, carrots and other vegetables cook more evenly, so you get tender vegetables without some turning to mush while others are still firm.
- 🍞 Give leftover bread a second life. Serve your stew with day-old Galician wheat bread or artisan bread. You can also toast stale bread and turn it into crunchy croutons for the next bowl of stew.
- 🌿 Save those leafy stems! Don’t automatically throw away the tougher stems from kale, chard or other greens. Chop them finely and add them to soups, stews, sauces or vegetable stocks, depending on their texture.
- ❄️ Store it safely. Let the stew cool before transferring it to an airtight container and placing it in the fridge. It will keep well for around 3–4 days. For longer storage, freeze individual portions and defrost them overnight in the fridge before reheating thoroughly.
- 🥣 Perfect for leftovers. As the stew sits, the flavours develop and the broth may become thicker. Add a splash of water or vegetable stock when reheating to bring it back to your favourite consistency.
- 💚 Cook more, waste less. A big pot of vegetable stew is one of Grandma Sita’s favourite ways to use up a mixture of seasonal vegetables before they are forgotten at the back of the fridge. Simple ingredients, one pot and plenty of comforting meals!
📗 Did you know?
🌱 What are grelos? Grelos are the leafy green tops of turnips and are a much-loved ingredient in Galician cooking. They have a slightly bitter, earthy flavour and are traditionally used in dishes such as Caldo Galego. If you cannot find them, kale, spinach, chard, collard greens or turnip greens make delicious alternatives.
♻️🌎 Food Waste Fact
🫘 Beans and other pulses are relatively less wasteful than many fresh foods, but they are not completely free from food loss. According to the FAO, cereals and pulses had a global food-loss rate of 8.4% in 2023, measured from after harvest through processing and before retail. This is considerably lower than the 25.4% loss recorded for fruit and vegetables, which are much more perishable.
That is another reason Grandma Sita loves beans: they are versatile, nourishing and easy to keep in the cupboard when bought dried or canned. And when you combine them with seasonal vegetables, you can create a hearty meal while making the most of what you already have at home.
🍲💚 From Galicia to your kitchen…
From humble beans, seasonal vegetables and a handful of simple ingredients comes a big pot of comforting food to share. This Galician vegan stew is proof that delicious cooking does not need to be complicated — just a little imagination, a few good ingredients and a desire to waste less.
🥣 Cook with what you have, share what you make and enjoy every last spoonful. Less waste, more flavour — the Grandma Sita way!