Author: JBjab

A hearty winter greens stew is great for lunch or dinner on a winter’s day. Imagine coming home for a brisk winter’s walk and looking forward to tucking into this when you come home (if you make it before you go out even better!)

The stew is packed with protein from the lentils, the bright green peas, and the dark green leafy vegetables. I used green puy lentils, as these hold their shape better than others which can go mushy. Leafy dark greens are an excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Our body’s need a little fat to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins contained in these leafy greens, so I’ve added a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the leafy greens at the end of the cooking until just wilted, otherwise they will lose their vibrant green colour. A squeeze of lemon and a sprig of fresh dill lightens the whole dish. Enjoy this stew whole and chunky or chunky smooth!

Ingredients – Serves 4, makes about 2 Li

Time approx 30-45 min

• 750ml to1li Li boiling water 
• 2tsp vegetable bouillon 
• 2 medium potatoes – diced
• 1/2 cauliflower – chopped into florets
• 1/2 broccoli – chopped into florets
• 1 medium onion -diced
• 3 cloves garlic -crushed 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 150 green puy lentils -cooked
• 1 handful curly kale -chopped
• 3 leaves dark kale -chopped 
• 1 handful spinach 
• 150g frozen peas -defrosted
• 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice
• fresh dill plus some for serving
• drizzle olive oil for serving

Method:

1. Wash and simmer the lentils (20-30 min according to instructions) in water a separate pan, drain and put to one side.
2. Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little oil in a large pan.
3. Add the following ingredients to the pan; bouillon, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, salt and pepper, add enough boiling water to cover the ingredients. Stir, bring back to the boil and allow to simmer until the potatoes have softened (about 15-20 min).
4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients; kale, curly kale, spinach, defrosted peas, lemon juice, fresh dill and cooked lentils, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes, allowing the leaves to wilt.
5. You can either ladle straight into bowls for a thick hearty broth, or blend with your blender until smooth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, sprig of fresh dill and cracked pepper. Enjoy!

I made this hearty protein packed bean and lentil stew a few weeks ago while I was doing a batch cooking weekend and thought I would share it with you. I have made it both in a slow cooker and in a pan, it tastes the pretty much the same cooked both ways, but I prefer the thicker texture in the slow cooker. The lentils remain whole and visible in the slow cooker whereas in the pan they can turn mushy if overcooked. This stew is hearty and substantial enough to eat on its own as a main meal.

Ingredients – Serves 6

Time approx 6hr Slow Cooker or 1hr 15 in a pan

• 1 tbl rapeseed oil
• 1 red onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tin of berlotti beans
• 1 tin of haricot beans
• 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
• 2 sticks celery
• 3 carrots (medium)
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 cup of red lentils
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 tbl paprika
• 2 tbl Harissa
• 1 tsp chilli (optional)
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 1/2 bag (100g) of chopped curly kale

Slow cooker method:

1. Turn slow cooker on to high (if using) and allow to heat up
2. Chop celery, carrots and sweet potato (skins on) into small pieces-approx. bean size
3. Rinse the lentils thoroughly
4. Add beans, tomatoes, celery, carrots, lentils and hot water to the slow cooker
5. Chop the onion and garlic and gently fry in heated rapeseed oil for approx. 5 min, add the dry spices and stir in for approx. 1 minute, until you can smell the spices
6. Cook on high for 1 hour then a further 5.5hrs on low. Keep an eye out for it drying out and add a little more water if necessary
7.  Add the kale and cook for a further 30 min until the lentils are soft enough to chew easily

Pan method:

1. Prepare all the vegetables and ingredients as for slow cooker method
2. Gently fry the onion, garlic then spices, add to a large pan
3. Add hot water and the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer and stir occasionally for approx. 40 minutes until the lentils have cooked