Bowl of Vegetable & Lentil Stew
(click to enlarge)

Vegetable & Lentil Stew


England
Makes:
Effort:
Sched:
DoAhead:  		 9 cups
***
2 hrs
Yes		 A substantial and satisfying one-pot meal for Winter evenings. A fine offering any time Vegetarians are expected.





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-- Base
Onions
Leeks (1)
Garlic
Butter
Flour, all purp
-- Vegies
Potatoes (2)
Carrots
Green Beans
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Lentils (3)
Frozen Peas
Corn Kernels (4)  
Vegie Stock
Milk, whole
Bay Leaves
Herbs dry
Dijon Mustard
Salt
Pepper
-- Garnish
Dill, fresh
Do-Ahead   -   (1 hr - 20 min work)   -  
  1. If not on hand, make Vegetable Broth. You can use peels and off-cuts from the Vegies and whatever else you have. For method see our recipe Vegetable Stock
Prep   -   (30 min)   -  
  1. Slice ONIONS into quarters lengthwise, then slice about 1/8 inch crosswise. Trim Leeks then slice White and Light green about 1/8 inch discarding dark green. Mix.
  2. Crush GARLIC and chop small.
  3. Peel POTATOES and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes. Peel CARROTS and cut into about 1/2 inch slices. Mix.
  4. Tip and tail GREEN BEANS and cut into about 1 inch lengths.
  5. Thaw PEAS and prepare CORN as needed. Mix.
  6. Chop DILL coarse for Garnish.
Run   -   (1-1/2 hrs)
  1. Melt Butter in a pot (3 quart) and stir in Onion mix. Fry stirring over moderate heat until softened, but no browning.
  2. Stir in Garlic for about 1 minute.
  3. Stir in Flour and stir long enough so it is well cooked but not starting to color.
  4. Stir in Vegie Stock, Milk, Bay Leaves, Dried Herbs, Mustard, and Lentils. Bring to a boil and turn to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.
  5. Stir in he Potato mix and bring back to a boil. Continue to simmer until Lentils are tender, which may be a total simmer time of 45 minutes to an hour, depending on type, size, and age of your Lentils.
  6. Stir in Green Beans, Salt, and Pepper. Bring back to a simmer until they are just crisp tender, about 8 minutes.
  7. Stir in Pea mix. bring back to a simmer for about 3 minutes. If doing ahead do this step after reheating and just before serving to keep the bright green color of the peas.
  8. Adjust liquid as needed with boiled water.
  9. If you want your stew more creamy, hit it with an Immersion Blender or otherwise blend part of it. I like plenty of texture.
  10. Serve hot with a generous garnish of Dill.
NOTES:

  1. Leek:

      Weight is as purchased. For how to trim see our Leeks page.

  2. Potatoes:

      White Rose or similar work well in recipes of this sort. Avoid Klondike Gold type potatoes - they turn to mush if cooked a little more than the minimum. For details see our Potatoes page.

  3. Lentils:

      I prefer small Green Lentils which hold their shape very well when cooked. Others may prefer larger Green Lentils which break up more, or large Brown Lentils which will disintegrate and thicken the stew.

  4. Corn Kernels:

      fresh, canned, or frozen.

  5. Comments:

      I have restepped this recipe a little, as here in California we are intolerant of overcooked vegetables. The pattern recipe, after stirring in the flour, just poured in all remaining ingredients except dill. You can do that if you want more "authentic" English.
  6. U.S. measure: t=teaspoon, T=Tablespoon, c=cup, qt=quart, oz=ounce, #=pound, cl=clove in=inch, ar=as required tt=to taste
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