Sun Dried Tomato, Lentil & Bean Stew Recipe

Ingredients

35g sun dried tomatoes
1 carrot
1 celery stick
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
4 vine tomatoes
500g dark speckled lentils
1 vegetable stock cube
200g flat beans
200g French beans
100g spinach
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1.25 ltrs boiling water

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Method

1. Pop the sun dried tomatoes into a jug and pour over 500ml boiling water. Set aside to soak for 10 mins, till the tomatoes have softened slightly.

2. Meanwhile, peel and carrot and finely chop it. Trim any woody ends off the celery and finely chop it into pieces of similar size to the carrot. Peel and finely chop the onions. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Pour 2 tbsp oil into a large pan and warm to a medium heat. Slide in the chopped carrot, celery, onions and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and fry for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, till softened.

3. Chop the vine tomatoes into small chunks. When the vegetables have softened, add the tomatoes to the pan. Fry for a further 5 mins.

4. Pour the lentils into the pan. Pop a sieve over the pan and pour in the soaking liquid from the sundried tomatoes. Chop the drained sundried tomatoes into small pieces and add to the pan. Add a further 750ml boiling water. Crumble in the stock cube and stir well. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan with a lid. Reduce the temperature to a gentle simmer and cook for 25 mins.

5. While the lentils are simmering, trim the ends off the flat and French beans. Thinly slice the flat beans and chop the French beans into 1cm pieces. Rinse the spinach briefly with cold water and trim off any woody stalks. Roughly chop the spinach leaves.

6. When the stew has simmered for 25 mins, stir in the chopped beans and spinach. Simmer for a further 10 mins.

7. Check the stew and add more salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls, finishing with a drizzle of olive oil into each bowl (optional).