Most people are familiar with Julia Child’s classic recipe for boeuf bourguignon. Talk about making an impression and leaving a footprint. Her boeuf bourguignon is made with beef and bacon, so not the most appropriate dish for vegetarians, but we reckoned that there must be a way to transform that rich, wine-oozing hot pot into something more to our taste. After a few experiments, it turns out that we were only one letter away. We turned beef into beet. We also added large chunks of mushrooms to give the stew the right texture and flavour. Our root mash is also a good companion.
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 8 small beetroots, peeled and quartered
- 6 carrots, sliced in large pieces
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato purée
- 250ml red wine, (use vegan wine if you are vegan)
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 400g puy lentils
- pinch sea salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 Portobello mushrooms, sliced
- 10 cremini mushrooms
- 10 pearl onions, peeled
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
- a few sprigs thyme, leaves picked, to garnish
Method
Heat the olive oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium heat. Stir in the onions and garlic, and sauté until soft. Toss the beetroot, carrots, bay leaves, thyme and salt and pepper into the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the tomato purée, red wine and vegetable stock and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the lentils under running water. Bring 1 litre of water and the lentils to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer gently for 15–20 minutes. When almost cooked, add the salt. Drain off any excess water, cover and set aside.
Now heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, lower the heat and sear the mushrooms and pearl onions, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden in colour. Season to taste and set aside.
Taste the stew and add more wine, stock or herbs if you like. Add the arrowroot mixture. Stir gently, just until thickened and clear. Add the mushrooms and onions and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Spoon the stew into 4 bowls together with the lentils, and sprinkle with fresh thyme.
Recipe taken from The Green Kitchen by David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen
This is a collection of delicious, healthy, vegetarian family recipes from the Green Kitchen Stories blog. David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen are the new faces of exciting vegetarian food. Their Green Kitchen Stories blog has a cult following and inspires people around the world to cook super-tasty, healthy vegetarian recipes using only natural ingredients. In The Green Kitchen, they delight meat-eaters and non meat-eaters alike by sharing over 80 of their favourite recipes, which can be enjoyed by the whole family. Using everyday staples from their pantry and combining them with in-season produce, David and Luise tell the stories from their kitchen, and show how easy it is to create nourishing, well-balanced dishes on a daily basis. Whip up some spinach muffins for breakfast, warm faro salad for lunch, and vegetable lasagne with lemon ricotta for a supper to share with friends. Have your cake and eat it too with frozen pink cheesecake, cherry and blueberry crumble, liquorice ice cream and more. As well as large dishes, they have an array of soups, salads, juices, small bites and picnic food that are uncomplicated to make but are bold in flavour and will have you wanting more. Start your love affair with vegetables through The Green Kitchen. Featuring stylish photographs throughout, this stunning book will show you how easy it is to cook delicious, sumptuous foods that taste great and are good for the body and the soul.
You can purchase The Green Kitchen at cooked.com.
Published by Hardie Grant Books.
Related articles:
Gob-smackingly Good Gumbo
Roast Vegetable Salad
Spicy Pumpkin Soup
