Mighty Mushroom Stew & Cauliflower Mash!

Warm your soul with this hearty recipe. It tastes so delicious, you won’t believe it’s entirely plant-based!

Ingredients:

Mushroom Stew:

• 1 Red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Carrot, peeled and sliced
• 3 Garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp Yeast extract or miso paste
• 1 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 300g/10½oz Portobello mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 200g/7oz Mixed mushrooms, such as shiitake or chestnut, sliced
• 2 tbsp Plain flour
• 350ml/12fl oz (1½ cups) Vegetable stock
• 1 x 390g/13¾oz Can of green lentils, drained and rinsed
• A large handful of baby spinach, washed

Cauliflower Mash:

• 1 Large head cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 tbsp Butter, dairy-free if vegan
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• A small pinch of ground turmeric (optional)
• 4 tbsp Milk, dairy-free if vegan
• A small handful of chives, chopped
• Sea salt and ground black pepper

Method:

STEP 1 – Add oil to a large frying pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot and garlic for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the vinegar, yeast extract or miso paste, tomato purée and mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 2 – Stir in the flour until fully incorporated, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a further 15 minutes until the stew is rich and thick. Stir in the lentils and spinach, allowing the spinach to wilt for a minute in the pan.

STEP 3 – While the stew is cooking, make the cauliflower mash. Bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil and place a colander on top. Add the cauliflower florets to the colander and put a lid on top. Steam for 10 minutes or until they are very soft.

STEP 4 – Drain the pan and add the butter and garlic. Fry over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then stir in the cauliflower. Season with salt and pepper, add the turmeric, if using, and add half of the milk. Mash well with a potato masher, or use a stick blender for a smoother texture, adding more milk if needed. Stir in the chopped chives.