Sweet roots and ready-cooked chestnuts in a thyme gravy: a substantial meat-free winter casserole.
Serves 4 | Preparation: 25 minutes | Cooking: 65 minutes | Total: 90 minutes
Times include the chilling, soaking or resting stated in the method. Cooking times are a guide: check tenderness and doneness before serving.
Ingredients
300 g carrots, cut into chunks
300 g parsnips, cut into chunks
300 g celeriac, peeled and diced
200 g onions, sliced
200 g cooked peeled chestnuts, roughly broken
25 ml olive oil
25 g plain flour
800 ml low-salt vegetable stock
20 g tomato purée
2 bay leaves
4 thyme sprigs
15 ml soy sauce
Salt and black pepper
Method
Heat the oil in a heavy casserole. Cook onions for 10 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips and celeriac and cook for 8 minutes, turning occasionally.
Stir in tomato purée and flour for 1 minute.
Gradually stir in the stock. Add bay, thyme and soy sauce and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chestnuts and simmer uncovered for another 15 minutes until the roots are tender and the gravy coats them.
Remove herb stems and bay leaves, taste and season. Serve in four bowls with greens or bread if wanted.
Variations and substitutions
Replace chestnuts with a drained 400 g tin of butter beans. Use swede instead of celeriac. For gluten-free gravy omit the flour and thicken at the end with 15 g cornflour blended with cold water, using gluten-free tamari and stock.
Homegrown and seasonal produce
Use sound stored roots, trimming woody centres from large parsnips. Buy edible sweet chestnuts ready cooked: horse chestnuts (conkers) are poisonous and must never be used.
Storage and freezing
Cool promptly in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below. Eat within 48 hours. Freeze in labelled portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Defrost in the fridge, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout.
Find more ideas in the complete recipe menu. Explore our growing guide finder and From Garden to Kitchen guide, or plan your next harvest with Your Growing Companion.
Stock photograph illustrating ingredients or a serving idea. These recipes are practical ideas to try; they are not presented as all having been tested in my kitchen.
