Persian Barley + Herb Stew
Persian Barley, Lentil + Red Bean Stew
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This recipe is a labour of love - one you can give your full time and attention to on a Sunday afternoon and dish up as a centre piece for everyone to dive into. If you have time, soak the pearl barley overnight to reduce the cooking time.
Ingredients
1 large onion, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons cumin
1.2L chicken or vegetable broth
1x 700g jar of Bold Bean Co Queen Red Beans (or 2 x 400g tins of red kidney beans), drained
250g pear barley, (soaked overnight)
150g white basmati rice, rinsed
400g green or brown lentils, (265g drained weight from a tin), drained and rinsed
A small bunch each of coriander, dill and mint, roughly chopped
75 g spinach spinach
Juice of ½ lemon
5 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
2 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons dried mint
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric, ground
Greek yoghurt, to serve
Crispy onion topper
Directions
Prepare the crispy onion topping by heating the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Add the rest of the ingredients for the garnish and saute for 2 more minutes on low heat and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
In a large pot, sauté the onions with olive oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat with a pinch of salt. Add garlic, turmeric and cumin and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
Add chicken broth along with barley, rice, lentils and black pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 25-30 minutes until just cooked. Add more water or broth according to your preference.
Add the herbs, spinach and kidney beans, cover and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pour the stew into a serving bowl and garnish with a big dollop of yoghurt, the golden onion garnish & a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
HUGE thanks to the legend that is Lucy Sommer who let us share this #beanspo on our website for all you champs to enjoy. Lucy creates loads of amazing recipes, check them out on their Instagram here.
