Preparation Time: 10 min Cooking Time: 30 min Serves: 6

Lentil & bean casserole withbread hummus & carrot top pesto By Chef Conor Spacey

Chef Conor’s lentil & bean casserole with bread hummus & carrot top pesto
is delicious at any time of year! Combining chickpeas, green lentils, cannellini
beans and black beans, it is packed full of nutritious, tasty fresh ingredients,
that are readily available in many locations. Bringing together Chef Conor’s
love of vegetables, together with his ‘zero waste’ cooking philosophy and his
love of good food for all, this dish is sure to tempt the taste buds

Ingredients:

  • Casserole: 1 splash rapeseed oil
  • 1 medium onion medium diced
  • 2 whole carrots sliced
  • 3 gloves garlic chopped
  • 5g cinnamon ground
  • 2g cumin ground
  • 5g coriander ground
  • 2g chilli flakes
  • A pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 litre vegetable broth
  • 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 180g uncooked green lentils
  • 250g of cooked beans (here I’musing chickpeas, black beansand cannellini beans)
  • 1/2 lemon
  • Bread Hummus:Stale loaf of white bread torninto 1 inch-ish sized chunks
  • 3 large cloves fresh garlic, sliced
  • 120ml rapeseed oil
  • 4 Tbsp. wine vinega
  • 2 tbsp tahin
  • Water from the chickpeas
  • Carrot Top Pesto:1 peeled clove garlic
  • ½ a freshly-squeezed lemon andrind carrot tops from 1 large bunch ofcarrots (remove the thick stalks andchop them separately)
  • small bunch of fresh mint leavesor basil leaves
  • scallions (spring onions)
  • 2oz of nuts
  • 3tbsp rapeseed oil

Method:

  1. Bean Casserole: Heat a heavy pot and add the rapeseed oil. Add the onions and cook
    for 5 minutes until soft. Add all the spices, salt and garlic and cook for
    another 2 minute

  2. Pour in the broth, chopped tomatoes and lentils. Bring to a boil and
    add the carrots then turn to medium heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
    Add the cooked beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from
    heat and squeeze 1/2 a lemon over the stew.

  3. Pour into soup bowls then garnish with carrot top pesto
    and a spoon of Skordalia.

  4. Bread Hummus
    Place the bread into a food processor and blend into crumbs then add
    the garlic and tahini and slowly add the oil, vinegar and water until it
    becomes a paste, season with salt.

  5. Carrot Top Pesto
    If you’re lucky enough to have access to a farmer’s market, you’ll see lovely
    bunches of fresh whole carrots (including the delicious tops), and now more and
    more supermarkets are starting to sell them. This also gives you more for your
    money, as the tops are delicious in salads, pastas and spread on top of warm
    bread. Here is a simple recipe for a pesto that is a great condiment in any kitchen.

  6. Blanch the carrot tops and stems. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil.
    Have a bowl with ice cubes and cold water in it ready. Once boiling, add the
    carrot tops and chopped stems to the pot. Cook for 3 minutes or until bright
    green and tender. Remove from the pot, drain the hot water, and add the
    carrot tops and stems to the ice cube bowl to stop the cooking process.

  7. Remove the carrot tops and stems from the cold water, squeeze out
    any excess liquid, and spread them on a chopping board to dry slightly.

  8. Add all of the remaining ingredients (except the oil) into your kenwood food
    processor. Blend into chunky paste. Add the rapeseed oil a little at a time
    until all is combined. Season to taste with salt, pepper

  9. Store the pesto in the fridge in an upcycled jar.

See who’s putting #beansonthemenu