MUSHROOM, SQUASH & LENTIL STEW

This simple stew has all the robust and herby flavours of Italy’s ‘cucina povera’ type of cooking, where wonderfully warming foods are created with little money. This is a vegan recipe but Italians would often add a rind of Parmesan cheese for a hit of savoury umami flavour. PER SERVING 19g carbs, 5.9g fibre, 9g protein, 11g fat, 220 kcal

Serves 6

20g dried porcini mushrooms

500ml water

500g chestnut mushrooms

2tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

6tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus

extra for serving

1 red onion, roughly chopped

200g swede or butternut

squash, roughly chopped

200g celery

2 fat garlic cloves, lightly crushed

3 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 bay leaves

½-1tsp chilli flakes

500g dried brown lentils

3tbsp tomato purée

700ml vegetable stock

A small handful of parsley,

roughly chopped Soak the porcini in 500ml hot water in a jug for 10-15 minutes. Fry the chestnut mushrooms with 1tsp salt and lots of black pepper in 4tbsp of oil over a medium-high heat in a casserole dish or pan for 5 minutes, or until browned. Take the porcini mushrooms out of the water, reserving it, and chop roughly then add to the frying mushrooms and heat through.

Use a slotted spoon to move the mushrooms to a bowl.

In the same dish, pour in the remaining oil and fry the onion, swede, celery, garlic and remaining salt for 10 minutes, or until soft. Tie the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves together with a short piece of string. Drop into the dish and add all the mushrooms. Add the chilli flakes, to taste, the lentils and tomato purée, and carefully pour the porcini mushroom water in, leaving any sediment in the jug. Pour in 700ml stock and stir.

Bring to the boil and cover. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and let the stew cook for 40 minutes-1 hour, until the lentils are cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with parsley.