Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups brown lentils
- 5 cups mushroom stock
- 1 bunch of fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 onion, diced
- 500g portabellini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter bean mash:
- 2 x 400g tins of butter beans, rinsed & drained
- 1 small clove of garlic, grated finely
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 4 Tbsp / 60ml olive oil
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley or micro herbs, for serving
Method:
- To make the mash, add all the ingredients to a food processor.
- Blitz until completely smooth, adding a little water if you want to thin it out.
- To warm up – transfer to a saucepan over low heat and stir until warmed through.
- Taste to adjust seasoning.
For the lentil stew:
- Rinse lentils well. Place in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the mushroom stock and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook with lid ajar for about 25 minutes until tender. If you need to give them a little liquid top up add some boiling water from the kettle.
- Discard the thyme sprigs.
- Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan.
- Add onion and mushrooms. Season lightly and cook until the onion softens and mushrooms are golden. Add garlic, tomato paste and chilli flakes. Cook until tomato paste turns a deep dark red colour and smells sweet.
- Pour in the tinned tomato and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
- Add the cooked lentils and all their liquid. Mix everything well together.
- Taste to adjust seasoning
- Serve stew on warmed butter bean mash and sprinkle with micro herbs.
