Spicy Lentil & Vegetable Stew

Add a little spice to your life this Valentine's day with this rich and fragrant dish that your heart will love!

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

300g carrots, scrubbed and chopped

200g cabbage, remove the core and roughly slice

200g kale or cavolo nero, remove the hard stalks and roughly chop

2 sticks of celery, sliced (reserve some of the leaves for garnish)

3 large onions, chopped

175g split red lentils

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

700ml low or no salt vegetable stock

2 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp turmeric

2 dessertspoons of ground flaxseed

A pinch of black pepper

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

A little chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (optional)

Method

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan and add the carrots, celery and 2/3 of the onion.

Sauté for around 5 minutes until softened, then add the lentils and garlic and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.

Mix in the cabbage, tomatoes and stock, pop a lid on the saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender and the lentils have softened.

Add the kale or cavolo nero for the last 7 minutes of the cooking time.

Meanwhile fry the remaining onion in the remaining 1 tbsp of oil on a low heat for 10 minutes then add the coriander, cumin and turmeric, cooking for a further minute to draw out the delicious aromas and flavours of the spices.

Add this mixture, along with the flaxseed, black pepper and lemon juice into the vegetables and lentils and stir well.

Spoon into bowls and top with some of the reserved celery leaves for a peppery crunch or with some chopped flat leave parsley. Enjoy and listen to your heart sing!