This homey, healthy vegan main dish looks as good as it tastes. It comes from the cookbook “Share: Delicious Dishes from FoodShare and Friends”. Use a combination of beans if you like and vary the recipe according to your vegetable preferences. Serve with crusty bread.

¼ cup olive oil
2 cups sliced carrots
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 sweet peppers (red, yellow or orange or a combination), coarsely chopped
2 cups (about 150 g) quartered mushrooms
3 tomatoes, chopped
Half small fennel bulb, sliced
1 potato, coarsely chopped (skin on)
1 cup vegetable stock or water
4 cups torn spinach or Swiss chard leaves
2 cans (each 19 oz/540 mL) kidney beans, white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, tarragon, mustard, thyme and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, fennel, potato and stock. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender and remaining vegetables are tender-crisp, about 12 to 16 minutes. Stir in spinach and beans; cover and cook 3 minutes or until heated through. Add salt and pepper.

Makes about 4 servings.