Vegetable stew recipe.

Nothing beats a great tasting vegetable stew. It's healthy, filling and cheap and easy to make. Meat eaters will enjoy this stew as much as vegetarians and I doubt they would even notice the loss of meat. The quantities given here will serve four people, more if you serve it with dumplings too.


INGREDIENTS.

4 large carrots, peeled and diced.
1 large white onion, peeled and diced.
2 large leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced.
3 parsnips, peeled and diced.
1 large swede, peeled and diced.
5 large potatoes, peeled and diced.
1 cup no soak red lentils.
2 pints water or vegetable stock.
Salt and pepper to taste.

METHOD.

Heat a little oil in a large, heavy based saucepan and fry the onions and leeks until they are softened but not browned. Add the water or stock,parsnips,swede and carrots. Stir well, bring to the boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for a further fifteen minutes.

Stir again, season to taste and then add the no soak red lentils. Be sure to get the no soak kind as the others need to be soaked overnight or you will end up VERY unwell. Cook over a low heat for a further forty minutes or until the lentils are cooked and soft. Serve hot with crusty bread. Any leftover stew will keep until the next day in the fridge, place in a pan and heat through slowly.

If you want to serve dumplings with this stew then follow this recipe.

INGREDIENTS.
2 Cups of vegetable suet.
2 Cups of self raising flour.
Salt and pepper to taste.
2 tsp dried mixed herbs.
Water to mix.

METHOD.
Mix the dry ingredients together, then make into a soft dough with the water, form into small balls using floured hands and drop into the stew for the final twenty minutes of cooking. You will need to put a lid on the pan to allow these dumpling to steam.