Vegan Stout Braise

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 14 ounces seitan, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 potatoes, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans or bottles Irish stout beer
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Lightly heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a splash of soy sauce in a skillet over medium-high heat. Toss in the seitan and cook it until it’s nicely browned all over, which should take about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the rest of the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes, and garlic, and sauté everything until the onions are soft and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and slowly pour in the beer, stirring it into the veggies. Next, mix in the brown sugar, flour, thyme, salt, and pepper, then add the browned seitan back into the pot. Let everything come to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and let it cook slowly until the stew thickens and reduces, which should take around 45 minutes.