Mushroom, Lentil & Kale Stew
Rich, thick, and tasty this easy vegetarian and vegan-adaptable stew is perfect on chilly days. Packed with veg and pulses in a lightly creamy, garlic and thyme broth.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 10 g butter see Recipe Note #1
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- 2 sticks celery finely chopped
- salt & black pepper
- 300 g mushrooms sliced
- 1 medium potato, peeled or unpeeled diced small
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 tsp fresh thyme, leaves only or 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 375 ml stock: vegetable or chicken see Recipe Note #2
- 375 ml milk see Recipe Note #2
- 250 g cooked brown lentils approx 1 standard tin, drained
- 200 g kale, shredded or roughly chopped (weight is after tough stems removed)
Instructions
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Put the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
When hot, add the onion and celery, season with a pinch of salt and a good grind of black pepper.
Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are starting to soften and colour (10 - 15 min).
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Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until they are browned too (another 8 - 10 min: turn the heat up if necessary to brown them but remember to turn it back to medium again).
Add the potato, garlic and thyme then cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute: don't let the garlic burn.
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Pour in the stock and milk then stir well, making sure you scrape up any veg from the bottom of the pot.
Bring to a boil (putting a lid on will speed this up but be careful it doesn't boil over) then immediately turn the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes.
Stir in the lentils and simmer for 3 minutes more.
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Take the pan off the heat and very briefly whizz with a stick blender to puree just a little of the soup to thicken it.
Add the kale to the pan and continue cooking until done to your liking (5 - 10 min).
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Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed, and serve.
Can be stored in the fridge for 3 days. Freezing not recommended as it can adversely affect the texture of the kale.
Recipe Notes
Note #1 Plant based version. Replace the butter with a little more oil.
Note #2 Amount of liquid. This makes a thickish stew. If you'd prefer it thinner, add an extra 100-150 ml of stock, milk, or a combination of the two.
Note #3 Variations. The stew is lovely served with a sprinkle of diced cheese to melt in. For a richer taste, you can also add a few tablespoons of double cream at the same time as the kale.