Happy Eat your Beans Day!
This celebration hosted on 3 July is the perfect opportunity to appreciate the nutritional powerhouse that beans are.
They are a significant source of protein, complex carbohydrates, folate, fiber, and iron. Not only are they low in fat, but they also provide essential nutrients that support overall health.
- Complementing the beans in this recipe, mushrooms add a rich, umami flavor and come packed with their own set of nutritional benefits, including all nine essential amino acids, Vitamin Bs, and essential minerals like iron, phosphorus, copper, potassium, and selenium. Potassium, in particular, is crucial for maintaining fluid balance and helping control blood pressure, making this recipe not just delicious but also heart-healthy.
To celebrate this day, we’ve crafted a scrumptious Vegan Lentil & Mushroom Stew on Butter Bean Mash. This dish is low in sodium, high in fiber, and bursting with flavor, thanks to the umami-rich mushrooms. Eat your beans on 3 July and enjoy the taste and health benefits of this delightful meal below!
Vegan Lentil & Mushroom Stew on Butter Bean Mash
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.
