Budget-Friendly Root Vegetable Stew with Crispy Potato Topping | Under £1.50/$1.90 Per Portion

potatoes

🥗Healthier: sweet potatoes

💰Cheaper: mashed potatoes

Sweet potatoes add nutrition and flavor.

vegetable broth

🥗Healthier: homemade vegetable stock

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Homemade stock is fresher and can be more economical.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: canola oil

Canola oil is often less expensive.

parsley

🥗Healthier: cilantro

💰Cheaper: green onions

Green onions provide a similar fresh flavor.

Soak dried porcini mushrooms in boiling water to create a mushroom stock.

Chop carrots into rough bite-sized pieces, ensuring they are not too big.

Roughly chop celery.

Peel mini shallots and leave them whole.

Wash parsnips and keep the peel on, then chop them.

Prepare fresh rosemary and thyme from the garden.

Crush and slice garlic cloves without worrying about them being too fine.

Remove soaked porcini mushrooms and finely chop them after soaking.

Heat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat with olive oil.

Cook the wild mushrooms until golden brown, then remove them from the pan.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the root vegetables, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Fry the root vegetables until they start to caramelize, then add bay leaves, garlic, and chopped porcini mushrooms.

Add tomato puree and plain flour to the pan, cooking for a couple of minutes to caramelize them.

Deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping the bottom to incorporate the caramelized flavor.

Cook the wine until it has a jammy texture, then add the mushroom stock.

Add balsamic vinegar and dark soy sauce to enhance the gravy's flavor.

Add chickpeas and the previously cooked mushrooms back into the stew, seasoning to taste with pepper.

Simmer the stew with the lid on for 15 minutes until the gravy thickens and vegetables soften.

Finely slice Maris Piper potatoes for the topping, ensuring they are thin for quicker cooking.

Toss the potato slices in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and optional herbs or garlic.

Layer the potato slices over the stew in circles, ensuring at least two layers.

Cover the stew with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for an additional 40 minutes, brushing extra olive oil on the potatoes for crispiness.

Check the doneness of the potatoes and vegetables with a knife; if not soft, return to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary