Rainbow Chestnut Stew
This is one of those stews we find ourselves coming back to every autumn and winter without fail. There's something about roasting the carrots, parsnips and butternut squash first that makes the whole thing feel really special, and the chestnuts add this gorgeous nutty richness that you just don't get from a regular veg stew. It's hearty, it's colourful, and it properly warms you from the inside out. If you've got people coming round and want to make something that looks impressive but doesn't stress you out, this is your recipe.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large baking tray lined with parchment
- Large heavy-based pan
- Colander
Ingredients
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 150g butternut squash
- 2 carrots
- 2 parsnips
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 x 180g vacuum packed pre-cooked chestnuts
- 1 leek
- 1 celery stick
- 10g sage leaves
- 100ml sherry - or dry white wine
- 4g sage leaves
- 1 can of butter beans
- 50g pearl barley
- 300ml vegetable stock
- 400g baby spinach
- chilli flakes
- 1 can of butter beans
Method
Prepare the veggies
- Peel and roughly chop the carrots, parsnips and butternut squash in to 2cm chunks
- Toss with the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper
- Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and thyme sprigs and place on a lined baking tray
- Place the tray in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes until the veg is tender
Prepare the other ingredients
- Finely slice the leek and the celery
- Pick and roughly chop the sage
- Drain and rinse the butterbeans
- Crumble the chestnuts
Cooking the stew
- In a large heavy-based pan, warm 1 tbsp olive oil add the leek and celery with a pinch of salt and stir until soft and translucent
- Add the sage and butterbeans to the pan, fold them in to the vegetables, take the pan off the heat
- Take the tray out of the oven
- Discard the thyme sprigs from the roasted root veggies
- Carefully squeeze the insides of the garlic cloves out of their skins into the pan
- Add the roasted vegetables to the pan and stir for 30 seconds
- Add the sherry or white wine and tomato puree to the pan and stir for 2-3 minutes to cook off the alcohol
Finishing the stew
- Add the pearl barley and stock to the pan
- Bring the mixture to the boil, reduce to a simmer for 15 -20 minutes, adding the crumbled chestnuts 5 minutes before the end
- The soup is ready when the barley is cooked, but still with a nutty bite
Time to serve
- Remove from the heat, season to taste and stir through the baby leaf spinach and sprinkle with chilli flakes and sage leaves
- Serve half immediately and place the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge to be reheated and served for lunch the following day (make sure the stew is piping hot when you reheat)
Tips & Variations
- Don't skip the roasting step: We know it adds a bit of time but trust us on this one. That extra 25 minutes in the oven transforms the veg and makes the whole stew taste so much deeper and richer.
- Serve with crusty bread: This stew is practically begging to be mopped up with a big chunk of sourdough or a warm dinner roll. It's non-negotiable in our house.
- Make it your own: Henry always throws in a handful of kale or cavolo nero right at the end for some extra greens. Just stir it in and let it wilt for a couple of minutes before serving.
Why This Works
The trick here is roasting the veg before it goes into the stew. It builds way more flavour than just chucking everything in a pot, and it gives those chunks a lovely caramelised edge that holds up beautifully in the broth. The chestnuts are the real secret weapon though. They soak up all the herby, garlicky liquid and turn the whole thing into something that tastes like it's been cooking all day.