Smoky Potato Chickpea Stew
Some stews don’t need meat to make them hearty. This vegan stew is mega healthy, packed with flavour and so easy to make.
knob of butter or splash of olive oil bunch spring onions, chopped
3 smallish courgettes, chopped
200g frozen peas
850ml vegetable stock
85g bag trimmed watercress
Large handful of mint
2 rounded tbsp. Greek yoghurt, plus extra to serve.
Heat the oil or butter in a large saucepan, add the spring onions and courgettes and stir well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, then add the peas and stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 4 minutes.
Turn off the heat, stir in the mint and watercress and watch them wilt. Now puree it all until very smooth, preferably with a hand-held blender in the pan. Add the yoghurt halfway through blending, and serve drizzled with a little extra yoghurt.
My children aren’t crazy about green things, and they especially hate courgettes, but they love this soup. Perhaps that’s because it’s blended into a velvety texture, or perhaps it’s the fresh taste of watercress and mint.
It’s served with a dollop of Greek yoghurt, which they enjoy stirring into patterns.
It’s extremely quick to make, and it freezes well. As for the health benefits, where do I start? Everything in this is green. If we count the mint and spring onions, that’s five green foods right there in one bowl. Watercress contains a compound you’ve never heard of (phenylethyl isothiocyanate), which has anti-cancer properties.
The children asked me to tell you that they have gone off Chicken Curry with Hidden Cabbage (think I’ve cooked it too many times), and that they never much liked Superfood Salad (“Just because we eat it doesn’t mean we like it.”) However, I’ve been making this recipe for 8 years and they still request it, so hopefully we’re on safe ground this time. It was their idea to put it in the blog. Be careful not to cook this soup for longer than it says, or it begins to taste nondescript and mushy. Acknowledgement: This recipe comes from 101 One-pot Dishes, by BBC Books.
Some stews don’t need meat to make them hearty. This vegan stew is mega healthy, packed with flavour and so easy to make.
This is my new favourite recipe. I’ve served it to guests, I’ve served it to the family, and when people taste it they want to know what on earth is in it, and they want seconds. Thirds too. It’s based on a dish from a vegetarian recipe book by Anna Jones, and it is deliciously weird. It takes me over an hour to make, longer than most salads, but I’m getting quicker and it is well worth it.
Kids famously hate cabbage, and raw cabbage? Forget it. But our kids love this recipe. The Mexican slaw is easy to make, and puts shop bought coleslaws in the shade. It complements the spicy pork, which has a sweet and smoky taste thanks to the marinade.
This seasonal salad will taste great all round. Sweet and crunchy, it is the perfect accompaniment for crispy tray baked chicken in a tahini sauce.