TOMATO RICE STEW for restaurants

 TOMATO RICE STEW for restaurants

with cabbage, baby carrots, baked beans and roasted peppers.  Seasoned with garlic, caraway and ginger. Sweet, tart and mildly spicy! Gluten-free and fat-free!!

Makes approx. 33 cups

6 lb. 6 oz. can stewed tomatoes

1 lb. baby carrots

1 sm. green cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and cut into 1 inch squares, about 9 c.

1 jumbo sweet onion, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch squares

12 c. water

28 oz. can Bush’s Fat-Free Baked Beans With Brown Sugar

2 c. diced sweet red roasted peppers, 3/4 inch squares

28 oz. can tomato puree

3 T. salt (it’s not too much)

1 T. dried basil

1 T. garlic powder

1 T. onion powder

2 t. powdered ginger

1 t. caraway seed

1 t. celery seed

1/2 t. red cayenne pepper

1/4 t. dried thyme, crushed

1/2 t. ground allspice

lots of freshly ground black pepper

1-1/2 c. parboiled Canilla long grain golden rice, I use Goya brand

3 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves (no stems)

In extra large soup pot combine stewed tomatoes, carrots, cabbage, onion and water. Bring to soft boil and cook till carrots are almost tender.

Add remaining ingredients except for cilantro, stirring after each addition. Cook on medium-low heat for 45 minutes, stirring often in the beginning to keep rice from sticking to bottom of pot.

When done, stir in cilantro leaves and cook 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let set till ready to reheat and serve.

Garnish each serving with additional cilantro leaves.

Notes: The rice is used as a thickener in this stew, so it will be very soft. However, the texture of the rice works well here, creating a smooth, hearty but light tasting stew.  The parboiled rice creates a smoother texture than your standard unnamed white rice, and fragile rices like Basmati and Jasmine break down too easily.

The caraway, though not prominent, adds a fresh taste to the overall flavor achievement.