Vegetarian Stew : Slow Cooker Recipe

" A slow cooker is the pinnacle of low-maintenance cooking. Place the ingredients inside, turn it on, and let it cook. Your only thought is how delicious that meal is going to taste. But some slow cookers have features which make them better suited to your specific needs than other models. To be happy with your purchase, you'll want those needs met. 

The best slow cookers offer a consistent temperature through many hours of cooking. The warm setting must keep your food warm without letting it continue to cook. You'll want a capacity that can accommodate your family's needs, a removable inner pot that is easy to clean, and durable construction that will allow many long years of use. 

Some slow cookers have programmable features that might be of interest. If you'd like a more in-depth look at these appliances, continue reading here" 

Now ... if you are looking for a fuss-free, easy vegetarian recipe, then this slow cooker chickpea and butternut squash stew is ideal. To offset the delicate flavours of the slow cooker stew, it’s served with fresh basil, shavings of vegetarian cheese and creamy pine nuts ...

Ingredients

Serves Four

1 onion, peeled and chopped
360g butternut squash, chopped into small chunks
250g sweet mini peppers, seeded and halved
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
400g tin chopped tomatoes
10-12 basil leaves, shredded
75g pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

vegetarian hard cheese or Parmesan, shaved, to serve (optional)

2 teaspoons chilli flakes (optional)

seasoning as required to serve

Method

1. Put the onion, butternut squash, peppers, beans and chickpeas into the dish of the slow cooker.
2. Pour over the chopped tomatoes then sprinkle with half the basil, (the optional) chilli flakes and season well. Stir well then set the slow cooker to low and cook for 4 hrs, until the vegetables are soft and tender.
3. Serve sprinkled with the remaining basil, the toasted pine nuts, a drizzle of olive oil, add more seasoning to taste if required and shavings of hard cheese, if you like.

Tip

Cooking pulses for a long time helps to make them more digestible and gives them a lovely creaminess – in this dish, any combination of beans or pulses would also work well.

Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Once the cooked dish has cooled completely, transfer it to an airtight, freezer-safe container, seal and freeze for up to 1 month. To serve, defrost overnight before reheating thoroughly.

Nutrition Per Serving

Carbohydrate 35.6g Protein 14.5g Fat 21g Fibre 9.4g

From an original idea here 

Some readers may also be interested in seeing this slow cooker Chicken Casserole recipe here 

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All the best Jan