A Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Recipe for Rainbow Stew

Rainbow Stew, our colorful spring picture book by award-winning author/illustrator Cathryn Falwell, is out today! This one is definitely up there among our top 10 picture books in terms of sheer adorableness, I think. Exhibit A:

Readers will delight in the vibrant colors of this rainy day adventure, which Kirkus Reviews called “a story that positively revels in family togetherness and good food.”

To celebrate its release, we’re sharing Cathryn Falwell’s recipe from the back of the book so you can make your very own Rainbow Stew! It’s a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure kind of recipe, so you can make it lots of different ways depending on your own tastes.

Recipe for Rainbow Stew

How to Make Rainbow Stew

You can make your own delicious Rainbow Stew with lots of colorful vegetables. This recipe makes about 4 cups of stew and takes about 40 minutes to cook. (note: if you’re a kid, be sure to have an adult help you.)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon each of three dried herbs (choose from basil, cilantro, oregano, parsley, rosemary, and thyme)

1/2 teaspoon salt and dash of pepper

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon cider vinegar

2 cups chopped sturdy vegetables (see choices below)

1 cup liquid (broth, tomato juice, or water)

2 cups chopped tender vegetables (see choices below)

Sturdy Vegetables: bell peppers, broccoli stems, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, green beans, parsnips, potatoes, turnips, winter squash

Tender Vegetables: broccoli tops, kale, peas, spinach, summer squash, tomatoes, zucchini

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over low heat. Add onion and stir for 2 minutes.

2. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.

3. Add herbs, salt, pepper, water, and vinegar. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add sturdy vegetables. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.

5. Carefully pour in liquid and stir. Cover pot and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

6. Add tender vegetables. Stir, cover pot, and cook for 15 minutes. Check occasionally and stir gently to keep vegetables from sticking to bottom of pot. Add more liquid if stew starts to stick or gets too thick

7. Test vegetables for tenderness with a fork. For softer vegetables, cook another few minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.

8. Ladle stew into serving bowls and enjoy!

*Optional Ingredients

Cook all optional ingredients separately. Add them last and cook stew a few more minutes until they are heated through. Add more liquid, if needed.

• Barley, lentils, noodles, pasta, rice, or split peas

• Black beans, cannellini beans, garbanzos (chickpeas), or kidney beans

• Beef, chicken, fish, or pork (cut into bite-size pieces)