How to Cook Spring Vegetable Stew

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients needed to make Spring Vegetable Stew:

• 6 baby leeks, outer leaves peeled off, sliced into 8 cm strips and rinsed
• 4 small artichokes
• 200 g spinach, leaves picked and rinsed
• 340 gm fresh baby broad beans, podded
• 1 small white onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 340 gm fresh peas
• 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
• 4 prosciutto slices
• 300 ml chicken broth
• Extra virgin olive oil, as required
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cooking instructions for Spring Vegetable Stew:

• Fill a pot with salted water and plop in the artichokes.
• Heat until they start boiling and continue to do so for about 10 minutes or until the artichokes soften.
• Drain them out in a colander and set aside until cool enough to handle.
• Peel off the outer leaves and scoop out the choke with the help of a spoon.
• Chop the hearts roughly into quarters and set aside.
• Refill the pot with cold water and stir in a dash of salt.
• Bring the salted water to a boil and drop in the broad beans to blanch for a couple of minutes.
• Drain them out using a slotted spoon and transfer them in a bowl.
• Blanch the leeks and spinach separately in the same salted water, each for about 3-4 minutes and drain them out into the above bowl.
• Heat a lashing of oil in a large saucepan and throw in the onions.
• Stir fry for about 10 minutes or until they soften and pour in a splash of broth into it.
• Toss the peas into the saucepan and stir them all together before bringing it to a boil.
• Spread the prosciutto slices on top of the veggies and reduce it to a simmer.
• Continue to cook likewise for about 10 minutes or until the peas soften and the prosciutto has infused its flavour into the stew.
• Rip the leeks into irregular strips and throw them into the stew, along with the coarsely chopped spinach, broad beans and artichokes.
• Bring the stew back to simmer and continue to cook likewise for about 10 minutes or until all the veggies are cooked through.
• Adjust the seasonings and fold in the fresh herbs until they are distributed throughout the stew and pour it into a large serving bowl.
• Drizzle a generous splash of olive oil into it and serve hot.

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons