A hearty winter greens stew is great for lunch or dinner on a winter’s day. Imagine coming home for a brisk winter’s walk and looking forward to tucking into this when you come home (if you make it before you go out even better!)

The stew is packed with protein from the lentils, the bright green peas, and the dark green leafy vegetables. I used green puy lentils, as these hold their shape better than others which can go mushy. Leafy dark greens are an excellent source of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Our body’s need a little fat to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins contained in these leafy greens, so I’ve added a drizzle of olive oil.

Add the leafy greens at the end of the cooking until just wilted, otherwise they will lose their vibrant green colour. A squeeze of lemon and a sprig of fresh dill lightens the whole dish. Enjoy this stew whole and chunky or chunky smooth!

Winter green vegetable broth ingredients

Ingredients – Serves 4, makes about 2 Li

Time approx 30-45 min

• 750ml to 1000ml boiling water 
• 2tsp vegetable bouillon 
• 2 medium potatoes – diced
• 1/2 cauliflower – chopped into florets
• 1/2 broccoli – chopped into florets
• 1 medium onion -diced
• 3 cloves garlic -crushed 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 150 green puy lentils -cooked
• 1 handful curly kale -chopped
• 3 leaves dark kale -chopped 
• 1 handful spinach 
• 150g frozen peas -defrosted
• 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice
• fresh dill plus some for serving
• drizzle olive oil for serving

Method:

1. Wash and simmer the lentils (20-30 min according to instructions) in water a separate pan, drain and put to one side.
2. Gently fry the onion and garlic in a little oil in a large pan.
3. Add the following ingredients to the pan; bouillon, potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, salt and pepper, add enough boiling water to cover the ingredients. Stir, bring back to the boil and allow to simmer until the potatoes have softened (about 15-20 min).
4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients; kale, curly kale, spinach, defrosted peas, lemon juice, fresh dill and cooked lentils, cover and simmer for a further 5 minutes, allowing the leaves to wilt.
5. You can either ladle straight into bowls for a thick hearty broth, or blend with your blender until smooth. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, sprig of fresh dill and cracked pepper. Enjoy!