You don't have to be a vegetarian to fall in love with this savory stew.

"Legim" (pronounced lay-geem) is the Haitian Creole word for vegetable. The mountain terraced farms of Haiti produce some amazing carrots, cabbages, and onions, basic ingredients for any good stew. Start off with a cornucopia full of garden goodness and simmer it down for this rich, hearty, healthy meal.

vegetables

Ingredients (serves 6)

  • 1 T. olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
  • 2 zucchini, cubed
  • 1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
  • 5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 1 large leek, chopped
  • 1/2 of a small head of cabbage, cored and chopped 
  • 2 peppers (I used one poblano and one longhorn), seeded and chopped
  • 1 habanero pepper or a Scotch bonnet pepper
  • pinch of ground cloves or 2 whole cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 cups vegetable stock or bouillon cubes and water
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • 1 T. snipped parsley or cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste

vegetables

Method

Washing, peeling, and chopping will take up the bulk of your prep time. Try to keep everything about the same size so that it cooks evenly.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, sautée the crushed garlic in olive oil. When it is fragrant, add the rest of the vegetables and stir continuously as they start to shrink and break down. Add the whole habanero pepper (be careful not to break it), the ground cloves, bay leaves, and garlic powder. Stir gently to combine and pour in the vegetable stock. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, uncovered, for two hours.

Check on the pot every 30 minutes, stirring and seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Add water as needed; you want it to be a thick stew, but it needs to be wet enough to prevent burning on the bottom. 

Keep an eye on the habanero! If you want your stew spicy, squash it lightly with the mixing spoon, just enough to crack it and release some of its oil. You can pull it out once it's reached your desired level of heat, so try to keep it on top of the simmering stew.

After two hours, squash everything down with a potato masher, add the tomato paste, snipped herbs, and simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Adjust your seasoning and serve over rice.

stew, rice

It's hard to believe that so many vegetables boil down to so little stew, but it really does. What gives it the trademark Haitian flavor is the habanero and the touch of cloves. You won't believe how sweet and tasty the veggies end up after such a long simmer.

Traditionally, legim can also be made with beef or chicken, browned and simmered first to create a rich stock before adding the vegetables. Because of its long cooking time, this is a great dish to freeze for a quick microwaveable meal. One thing's for sure—it's a tasty way to get in all sorts of yummy veggies and chase away the cold.

**The photos in this article are by Sarina Petrocelly.

Do you have a favorite vegetarian stew recipe? Tell us about it in the comments!