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Hearty winter vegetable stew

You can buy packs of soup & broth mix in most supermarkets, which is a mixture of dried pulses, pearl barley and rice. I find it a very useful base for comforting winter soups and stews. It’s also super healthy, full of fibre and vitamins. I made this hearty winter vegetable stew in the pressure cooker (so it took only 15 minutes to cook) but you can use a slow-cooker or just let it simmer in a pan for an hour or so on the stove. Serve it with crusty, wholesome bread.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Cuisine: British
Calories: 1234
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 onion
  • 1 large carrot
  • 2 beetroots
  • ½ butternut squash
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 200 g soup mix pre-soaked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 litre vegetable stock
  • 1 tin of beans any type, drained
  • 100 g black kale or savoy cabbage shredded
  • 1 Tbsp cider vinegar

Method
 

  1. Finely slice the onion and roughly chop the garlic.
  2. Peel the squash, carrot & beetroot, then chop them into bite-sized chunks.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a big pot or pressure cooker.
  4. Gently sauté the onion for about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the chopped vegetables, garlic & spices, then cook for a minutes. Add the mixed pulses, stir for a minute and pour in the stock. Bring to the boil and put the lid on. Turn the heat down and simmer gently for about 60-90 minutes, until the sauce is thick and the barley/rice has cooked through. Alternatively, if you’re using a pressure cooker, secure the lid onto the pan, and pressure-cook for 15 minutes then rest until the lid can be released.
  5. Finely chop cabbage and stir into the stew together with the beans. Cook for 5 more minutes, then rest for a further five minutes under a lid.
  6. Stir in the cider vinegar.
  7. Serve warm with a dollop of crème faiche/yogurt/kefir/sour crème/vegan cream, if liked.