Some people think any female practitioner of magic is called a witch.  I am a mage, not a witch, though- to clarify- there’s nothing wrong with being a witch! In fact, several of my dearest friends are witches. From them, I learned one very important skill:putting things in a pot and letting them cook for a while. Seriously, when I go hang out with my witch friends, that’s all we ever do.

Anyway, on a lazy Saturday afternoon, we like setting up a cauldron to cook and letting magic happen passively while we veg and watch netflix. There’s nothing worse than a designated hang-out time interrupted by lots of standing, and stirring, and… work! This is one cauldron-safe incantation that’s perfect for those kinds of occasions. There’s enough individual prep work between dicing veggies and getting the broth where you want it that many hands can contribute for a bit, then just let the ingredients do the hard work.

I use Better than Bouillon because it’s right at the intersection between super tasty and super easy, but feel free to use the stock or broth of your choice, shooting for a 50/50 split between mushroom and veggie. If you needed to slow down time, this spell could be made easily in a slow cooker- just increase the cook time to 6-8 hours on low. This veggie combination was really tasty, but the great thing about witches’ brews is that they’ll work with just about any ingredient you have to use up. This is a great end of week fridge cleanup perfect for an impromptu get together!

Lentil-Barley Vegetable Soup (+4 mana, +5 health, +4 stamina)

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoons Better than Bouillon Vegetable Stock
• 1 ½ tablespoons Better than Bouillon Mushroom Stock
• 8-10 cups water
• 1 ½ cups green or brown lentils
• 1 cup pearled barley
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 pinch each of sage, parsley, and oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Mix bullion and water in a large cookpot. Add all ingredients except peas. Bring to a low boil.
2. Add frozen peas. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2-3 hours.
3. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve.