Lentil, squash and mushroom stew with quinoa recipe

Puy Lentils are a lovely slate grey colour and have an earthy flavour that is delicious in soups, stews and salads. They keep their shape well during cooking too. Use the dried lentils for this recipe as a can of lentils will cook too quickly. If you like them, you can add carrots or parsnips too to this hearty vegetarian supper. If you want to add a little meat, fry some bacon lardoons or chorizo when frying the onions. We’ve served this dish with quinoa but you could also serve it with mash or a large hunk of crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 300g butternut squash, peed and cubed
• 1 stick celery, sliced
• 1tsp paprika
• 1/2tsp cayenne pepper
• 2tbsp tomato puree
• 1 litre vegetable stock
• 150g Puy lentils
• 200g portobello mushrooms
• Sliced spring onions, to garnish
• Quinoa, to serve

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion until soft but not browned. Add the butternut squash and celery and fry for another 5 mins until the butternut squash is lightly browned.
2. Add the paprika and cayenne pepper, tomato puree and stock. Bring to the boil and add the lentils. Cover and simmer on a low heat for 45 mins until the lentils are tender,
3. Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 10 mins. Sprinkle with spring onions and serve with quinoa