Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon

[nverland]

Vegan Mushroom Bourguignon
Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

*For the Mushroom Bourguignon
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
16 ounces sliced mushrooms (such as cremini)
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup full bodied dry red wine
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2 tablespoons flour (you can use spelt or brown rice flour)
*For the Mashed Potatoes
4 large russet potatoes
1/2 cup plain unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
2 tablespoons vegan butter
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions:
To make the mashed potatoes: Wash the potatoes then place them in a large pot and cover with water by at least three inches. Bring to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, or until soft enough to mash. I like to pierce it with a knife to check for softness. Drain the potatoes and set aside to cool. Once they are cool enough to handle, use your hands to slide the skins off then transfer them back to the pot. Pour in the almond milk and vegan margarine then use a potato masher to mash together until smooth. Add the garlic salt and pepper then continue to mash until well combined.

To make the bourguignon: In a measuring cup, add one cup of hot water along with the dried mushrooms and set aside. In a large pot, warm one tablespoon of olive oil over low to medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer them with their juices to a plate and set aside. To the same pot over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil along with the onion, carrot, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, oregano, salt & pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the dried mushrooms from the measuring cup while reserving their liquid. Discard any hard pieces then finely chop the rest. Add them to the pot along with the cooked mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir everything together and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in the red wine and the mushroom liquid then bring to a boil. Allow to cook for 10 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half, then reduce heat to low. In a small bowl, combine the vegan margarine and the flour by mashing them together with a fork. Add it to the pot and stir together until the sauce thickens.

Serve warm with mashed potatoes, top with chopped chives and enjoy!