Butternut Stew | Serves 2 (or 4 with salad / steamed vegetables) | Prep 15 mins | Cook 45-60 mins
This is totally comforting and satisfying (not to mention nutritious). Mouthfuls go from moments of mellow tomatoes, squash, leeks and carrot (I like purple carrots in this recipe), to spikes of chilli, smoky chorizo and fresh, green coriander. Non meat eaters feel free to omit the chorizo.
A one pot winner perfect for Christmas Eve or anytime that you require minimal; effort, expense, and washing up.
Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped roughly
1 leek, chopped roughly
2 carrots, chopped into 2-3cm chunks
1 small butternut squash (250g of large chunks)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
100g cooking chorizo, sliced
50g pearl barley
300g jarred herby passata (or use a 400g tin)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped (or 1 tbsp dried)
1 tbsp dried marjoram
1 tsp ground ginger
400ml hot water, with 2 tsp bouillon (or use a stock cube)
1 tbsp coconut oil, or other cooking oil
to serve
handful pumpkin seeds
fresh coriander
Method
1) Heat the coconut oil in a large non-stick saucepan and over a medium heat begin to fry the chorizo, onions and leeks.
2) After 5 minutes add the rosemary, chilli, marjoram, ginger and garlic. Stirring around the pan for a few minutes.
3) Add the passata and bay leaves, and allow to bubble out for a couple of minutes.
4) Add your pearl barley, butternut squash, and carrots and cover with the stock water.
5) Once the sauce has reached boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and leave for 25 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then.
6) Remove the cover from the pan and continue to simmer until your butternut squash and carrots are cooked through. Shake the pan every now and then.
7) Remove from the heat, season with black pepper and scatter over pumpkin seeds and coriander when serving.
