Wednesday, 5 November 2025

Bonfire Night UK... enjoy a bowl of Lentil and Vegetable Minestrone Stew / Casserole

November 5th is host to Guy Fawkes’ Night, or Bonfire Night, in the UK. This day celebrates the capture and execution of Guy Fawkes, an attempted terrorist who tried blowing up the Houses of Parliament centuries ago. This event is celebrated by fireworks and food, and you may like to give this recipe a try.

Lentil and Vegetable Minestrone Stew / Casserole
a warming dish, its nutritional details per serving
Fat 5g Carbs 19g Fibre 6g Protein 6g


Ingredients
Serves Four
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced small
1 celery stick, diced small
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tbsp. sundried tomato paste
2 sprigs of rosemary
1 bay leaf
700ml hot reduced-salt chicken stock
1 x 400g tin pomodorini cherry tomatoes
1 x 400g tin green lentils, drained and well-rinsed
100g cabbage or kale, any tough stalks removed, shredded

To serve (optional)
a few Parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) shavings
a few basil leaves
a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

Method
1. Heat the oil in a large casserole or heavy-based pan. Add the onion, carrot and celery; cover and cook gently for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the rosemary, bay leaf, stock and tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary and bay leaf.

3. Add the lentils and cabbage or kale; simmer for 5 minutes until the veg is tender. Season. Serve in bowls with Parmesan shavings, basil leaves and a drizzle of oil, if you like.

Tip - Get Ahead
Make up to 2 days ahead, cool and chill. Gently reheat until piping hot, adding a little more water if necessary. Freeze (without the cabbage/kale) for up to 1 month.
From original idea here and of course you can enjoy this tasty dish any day of the week!

~ if you may be celebrating bonfire night have fun but stay safe ~

Dear reader, you will see a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan

32 comments:

  1. This looks colourful, delicious, wholesome and comforting, Jan.

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  2. Yum, Jan - my kinda eats. Thank you.

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  3. Linda noche. Gracias por la receta.

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  4. I've never bought lentils in a can but it would be a real time saver. Those green ones take quite a while to get tender I find. The recipe looks good.

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  5. That looks fantastic! I wish I could reach through the screen and get myself a serving.

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  6. I'm saving this one - looks good!

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  7. This sounds yummy - and thank you for the freezing-tips, too. Why the heck did I not learn about the Bonfire at school? Thank you for that, also! Really. Sometimes I think about being a history-teacher - but the situation (here in Germany and likely everywhere) has gone too bad and me too old. "Luckily" on the old-part ;-)

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  8. What a delicious dish! And I learned that it's best cooked 2 days in advance, then it tastes better.

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  9. Delicious! I've been struggling to buy lentils from the supermarket recently. X

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  10. Yes ... it is time for stews and soups. It feels cold in the evenings these days.
    God bless.

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  11. Hello,
    Bonfire night sounds fun! The soup and stew sound delicious too.
    Take care, enjoy your day!

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  12. ...something to warm you up!

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  13. That soup looks great :-D

    Not really a fan of Bonfire night. My cats are normally okay, I'll need to wait and see how the 2 new ones are that I got in Feb. I don't mind controlled displays but so many people leave the rubbish and don't tidy up and you know the local councils don't sort it for ages or ever!

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  14. I’ve heard of Guy Fawkes day, but never knew what it was about. The stew looks yummy.

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  15. It's definitely soup weather. I've been on a pressure canning rage lately, trying to fill up the pantry for winter and soup has been a big item on the menu!

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  16. Ooh, I do like minestrone - haven't had it for ages

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  17. The minestrone soup is looking delicious.

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  18. Great soup with lentils and in-season vegetables, such us cabbage and onions.

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  19. This looks very tasty Happy Bonfire Night to you Jan.

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  20. Thank you Jan, I am pinning.
    This was the second post I read today sharing Bonfire Night, the other post also shared the Guy Fawkes poem.
    Carla

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  21. Oh dish looks so delicious and comforting dear Jan 🤗
    Perfect for the cold season 👍
    Thank you for sharing 🙏🥰
    Hugs and best wishes ♥️

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  22. You know, I've never been a big fan of lentils, but my husband loves them. Haha!

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  23. Looks yummy! I hope Bonfire Night isn't too disruptive.

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  24. That stew looks amazing, Jan. I'll have to give it a try soon.

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  25. A splendid soup for a happy bonfire night.

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  26. I've never heard about that bad Guy. Glad it was so long ago. Linda in Kansas

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  27. You mentioning bonfire night just brought back memories of living in Chatteris and we could see the fireworks from our bedroom window :)

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  28. Me guardo la receta, se ve muy bueno. Besos.

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