Black Eyed Bean Stew with Herb Smash

30th April 2017

I'm really into spicy food right now so I quite fancied giving this one a go. 

To start, the leek was chopped very finely and fried gently in some coconut oil. After a few minutes, chilli and garlic were added too. I included some mushrooms and courgette for additional veggie goodness. 

When the veg was beginning to brown, the black eyed beans and passata were added to the pan along with the juice from half a lemon. I chopped the remains of the lemon into segments and put them in the pan for flavour whilst the stew simmered. 

Meanwhile, I made the "herb smash". Fresh coriander, green chillis, garlic, honey, sunflower oil and lemon juice were put into a blender and blitzed together. Chopped walnuts went in next for a light blitz to create a smooth green paste. Although I perhaps put in too much oil since it was a little on the runny side. I also stirred in extra pine nuts for good measure. 

Finally, once the passata had reduced significantly, I mixed in chopped spinach for the last couple of minutes. 

This was served in a bowl with the herby dressing on top, along with some pitta bread. Despite the three chillis in here, it wasn't spectacularly spicy. I will have to add extra chilli flakes when I reheat the rest. Really need that spice kick at the moment!