Warming Vegetable Stew
Sunshine on a rainy day.....
This hearty and delicious stew is just the ticket for a nice warming lunch or supper on a rainy day. Mop up the gravy with a nice chunk of lightly buttered, seeded, or multigrain, bread for a full comfort experience.
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There plenty of portions of veg in here, and you could easily add more with kale or green beans; or add some butter or kidney beans if you’d like extra protein for a main meal.
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I’m sure this would cook up very nicely in a slow cooker too. I was doing this and a meat version for the man, so I had the oven on anyway.
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Don’t forget not to waste those lovely little butternut squash seeds, they are full of vitamins, minerals and protein. Roast them for a little snack or sprinkle on top of the stew for a crunchy topping.
The lemon, rosemary and garlic topping on this is well worth the effort as it really brings it to life!
Ingredients
1 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
A few sprigs of fresh sage
4 Portobello mushrooms, quartered
2 parsnips, peeled and chopped in large pieces
1 small butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut in large chunks
3 carrots, peeled and chopped in large pieces
500g new potatoes
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tablespoons tomato purée
200ml red wine
300ml organic vegetable stock
1 lemon
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 clove of garlic
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1. Pre-heat oven to gas Mark 2/160/140 fan.
2. Heat a large oven proof pan on a medium heat on the hob. Add oil, onions and sage. Fry for 5-7 mins until onion softens.
3. Add all other veg and sprinkle over flour, stir to coat.
4. Add tomato purée, wine and stock and stir well. Turn up heat and bring up a simmer. Place in oven for around 3 hours until veg is tender and sauce is thickened. Mix 2tsp cornflour with a little cold water and stir in to stew and cook for a further few minutes if a thicker sauce is required.
5. When stew is ready, finely chop and mix the zest of the lemon, the rosemary and garlic.
6. Ladle stew into bowls, top with a sprinkling of lemon mix. Serve with green veg or a chunk of nice bread and breath in the delicious aroma.
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