There’s nothing like a warm, hearty stew to make you feel better during the cold winter evenings. The best stews are warm, meaty, chunky dishes packed with all of your favourite flavours in one bowl. Lentil & Mushroom Stew on Butter Bean Mash is the best way to spend an evening indoors with your family. It’s also vegan and vegetarian-friendly but still perfect for meat-lovers as well. It doesn’t get better than this.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups brown lentils
5 cups mushroom stock
1 bunch fresh thyme sprigs
1 onion, diced
500g portabellini mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Butter bean mash:
2 x 400g tins of butter beans, rinsed & drained
1 small clove garlic, grated finely
2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp / 60ml olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley or micro herbs, for serving

Method:
To make the mash, add all the ingredients to a food processor.
Blitz until completely smooth, adding a little water if you want to thin it out.
To warm up – transfer to a saucepan over low heat and stir until warmed through.
Taste to adjust seasoning.

For the lentil stew:
Rinse lentils well. Place in a large pot or Dutch oven and add the mushroom stock and thyme.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook with lid ajar for about 25 minutes until tender. If you need to give them a little liquid top up add some boiling water from the kettle.
Discard the thyme sprigs.
Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan.
Add onion and mushrooms. Season lightly and cook until the onion softens and mushrooms are golden. Add garlic, tomato paste and chilli flakes. Cook until tomato paste turns a deep dark red colour and smells sweet.
Pour in the tinned tomato and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Add the cooked lentils and all their liquid. Mix everything well together.
Taste to adjust seasoning
Serve stew on warmed butter bean mash and sprinkle with micro herbs.

Categories: Recipes, South Africa Mushroom Farmers Association SAMFATags: Food, Food and Wine, Lentil & Mushroom Stew on Butter Bean Mash, Mushrooms, South Africa