- 3 leeks
- 200g chestnut mushrooms
- 1 carrot
- 2 garlic cloves
- A handful of thyme, leaves only
- 400g tin of green lentils
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 100g baby leaf spinach
- 120g feta
- ½ x 50g breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 100ml boiling water
- Large pan with lid
- Measuring jug
- Ovenproof dish
- 1.
Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Fill and boil your kettle. Trim the roots and top 3cm off the leeks. Halve them lengthways and rinse out any grit then slice the leeks into bite-sized pieces. Rinse the mushrooms and tear them into small pieces. Scrub and finely chop the carrot (no need to peel it). Peel the garlic and grate or finely chop it. Pick the thyme leaves off their sprigs.
- 2.
Pour 1 tsp olive oil into a large pan and warm it to a medium heat. Slide the leeks, mushrooms, carrot and garlic into the pan. Add half the thyme leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry for 6-8 mins, stirring now and then, till slightly softened.
- 3.
Drain and rinse the lentils. Shake dry and add them to the pan. Add the baby leaf spinach, crumble in the stock cube and pour in 100ml boiling water. Warm through for 5 mins.
- 4.
Tip the veg and lentils into an ovenproof dish. Crumble the feta over the top and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Slide the dish into the oven and bake for 15-20 mins, till golden.
- 5.
Divide the leek and mushroom crumble between a couple of warm plates and top with the rest of the thyme leaves to serve.
- Tip
A tasty trail of breadcrumbs
You can use the whole pack of breadcrumbs to top this crumble, though this will affect the nutritional information. Otherwise they’ll keep in your cupboard, ready to top tomatoey pasta bakes, creamy mac and cheese or to add a bit of crunch to your favourite winter soup. For plenty of other crispy ideas, check out abelandcole.co.uk/recipes.