Hearty winter vegetable stew

Serves: 8
Prep: 10
Cook: 40

A richly flavoured stew packed with nutritious vegetables, rich in fibre and high in iron. A satisfyingly healthy way to end your day.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 large leek, thinly sliced
  • 500g parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes (kumara), cut into chunks
  • 400g can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 tsp chilli powder or crushed chilli (optional)
  • 1L vegetable stock, salt-reduced
  • 1 cup unsalted roasted cashew nuts
  • ½ cup pasta shapes
  • 1 cup button mushrooms, cleaned, stalks removed
  • salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Crostini
  • 1 french bread stick
  • olive oil for brushing
  • 2 tbs pesto

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in large heavy-based saucepan. Add onion, leek, parsnips and sweet potato (kumara) and cook for about 4 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in tomatoes, chilli, vegetable stock and cashews and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in pasta shapes and mushrooms. Season to taste if desired. Simmer for further 20 minutes. Ladle stew into individual soup bowls and serve topped with a pesto crostini.

  4. Step 4

    Preheat an oven grill to high. Cut bread into 12 slices. Brush one side of each slice with olive oil and grill that side until golden, about 5 minutes. Spread untoasted side with pesto, and grill for 2 minutes.

Tips

  • Instead of pasta shapes, why not try tiny tortellini filled with cheese or mushrooms, israeli couscous or gluten-free pasta shapes?

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