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Smokey Cauliflower & Lentil Stew

September 21, 2019 / Niki / 33 Comments

I’m so excited that Autumn is finally here. I’m such a sucker for the leaves changing colour, the feeling and sound of stepping on a fallen leaf, the crisp winters air making its way through the trees and our bodies craving big bowls of delicious goodness to warm us up after work.

Plus, with the change in season comes a new yield of delicious ingredients to gather and get my hands on. I always like to eat with the seasons, it gives you such a challenge in experimenting with certain ingredients during their short-lived time and some of my favourite recipes have been discovered that way.

There is something almost magical about indulging on a certain vegetable to then not eat it again for another year. It makes the taste so much more vibrant and allows you to fall in love with it all over again. And that’s exactly where the inspiration for this recipe came from.

I wanted to create something that was super delicious and warming and had those smokey undertone flavours I’ve come to love and utilise in probably about 80% of my recipes (if something isn’t broken, why try to fix it, or that’s what my Mum used to always say!) and pair it with some of these amazing Autumnal vegetables that are starting to pop up all over the place.

I’ve used cauliflower, which you know is one of my favourite ingredients and paired it with deliciously earthy red lentils and lots of spices, before topping it with a creamy tahnini dressing for an added layer of luxury. This recipe uses cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander and chilli flakes to really build a base layer of flavour and then adds a smokey depth that works amazing against these two earthy rich ingredients.

But please don’t be scared about all the different spices that this recipe has, they perfectly balance each other out and means you’re able to easily adjust to your own heat and spice preference.

I absolutely love spicy food after travelling around the Middle East for many years, so I tend to always add in an extra pinch or two when I make this dish. Also, feel free to skip a few of the scarier and more intense spices if you are making this for a family of little ones.

I also love to stir in a little coconut yogurt for an added hit of creaminess, this is entirely optional but I highly recommend. I also finish this dish with lots of fresh coriander for an almost peppery kick to the final dish and then serve it with some chunks of fresh sourdough bread or deliciously fluffy flatbreads (I have a quick step by step tutorial on how to make the best effortless flatbreads here) as they are the perfect vehicle for soaking up and scooping up all that gorgeously rich liquid.

This dish is perfect to batch cook and take to work for lunch, the lentils will keep you full to power through the afternoon, or even for a quick mid-week dinner. Lentils are actually one of my favourite ingredients as they are low in calories, rich in iron and an excellent source of protein, plus they can bulk out so many different types of dishes making them the ultimate store cupboard essential to stock up on (you can find out more about what store cupboard ingredients I think should be in your kitchen at all time, and what recipes you can create with them, on this blog post here)

The recipe is super simple to create and because it’s cooked all in one pan, makes the washing up a breeze! I always make sure to make extra portions when creating this recipe because the flavours are even better the next day once they have had a chance to develop and infuse all the wonderful components, plus it freezes and keeps really well making it the perfect meal-prepping dish. Just portion out and freeze in jars or individual portions and thaw overnight in the fridge – it can be kept in the freezer for a few weeks.

If you like this recipe, why not give one of my other Smokey inspired recipes a try?

This Smokey Lentil and Walnut Bolognese with Crispy Roast Potatoes is the perfect combination of comfort and delight.

My Whole Roast Cauliflower with Smokey Tomato Sauce, Chickpeas and a Cucumber Mint Dressing is a show-stopping delight and my Roast Cauliflower and Aubergine with Smokey Red Pepper and Chickpea Stew combines all of my favourite vegetables, covers them in a delicious smokey sauce and them wraps them up in a fluffy flatbread – the most delicious vehicle of flavour and texture.

I really hope you love this delicious soup as much as I do; make sure to post and tag with @rebelrecipes #rebelrecipes if you make this dish so I can see and repost your gorgeous creations!

I'd love to know if you made this recipe.

Use #RebelRecipes and tag @RebelRecipes