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–+ servings
This squash, lentil, and apricot one-pot stew brings sweet and savory flavors together in a warming dish. Spiced and full of texture, it’s great on its own or with flatbreads for scooping.
squash, lentil, and apricot one-pot stew with chickpeas, spices, and basmati rice
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Duration1 hour
Servings4

Ingredients

  • 2 onions
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 350 g butternut squash
  • 10 dried apricots
  • 1 x 400g can chickpeas/garbanzo beans
  • 170 g dried split red lentils
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cumin/jeera
  • 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 720 ml water plus 120ml extra if needed later
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron strands optional
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of just-boiled water
  • 500 ml vegetable stock made from 1 stock cube
  • 1x 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 45 g white basmati rice
  • Sea salt and black pepper
To Finish And Garnish
  • Large handful of fresh coriander/cilantro leaves optional
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra for the flatbreads/toast
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • Dried chili/hot pepper flakes
To Serve
  • Flatbreads or toasted sourdough

Instructions

First let’s prepare the ingredients:

  • Finely dice the onions and celery.
  • Mince the garlic.
  • Peel, deseed and dice the butternut squash into small chunks.
  • Halve the dried apricots.
  • Rinse and drain the chickpeas/garbanzo beans and set aside.
  • Rinse and drain the red lentils and set aside.
  • Finely chop the fresh coriander/cilantro (for the finish/garnish).

Next:

  • Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot on a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.
  • Add the celery, garlic and all the spices apart from the saffron. Fry for 2 minutes.
  • Boil the 720ml of water in a kettle. Add the lentils and this boiling water to the pan. Cover and cook until softened, about 12 minutes.
  • Grind the saffron strands (if using) with the sugar in a pestle and mortar. Add the 2 tablespoons of just-boiled water and leave to steep.
  • When the lentils are soft, add the squash, saffron, chickpeas/garbanzo beans, apricots, vegetable stock, tomatoes, rice, ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper to the pan. Stir to combine.
  • Cover and simmer on a medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the squash is completely cooked and beginning to melt into the stew. This will take 25–30 minutes.
  • Add the extra 120ml (boiling) water if the stew is dry. While the stew is cooking, you can clean down and set the table.
  • In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add most of the chopped coriander/cilantro and the olive oil to finish.
  • Taste and season as needed with the lemon juice and more salt and black pepper. Serve garnished with the remaining coriander/cilantro and some chili/hot pepper flakes.
  • Serve with flatbreads or toasted sourdough, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. The flavors improve after the stew has rested overnight (in the refrigerator, then reheat to serve) and it also freezes well so is ideal for batch cooking.
Tip: Freeze the stew in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost, then reheat gently until piping hot to serve.