We had quite a rainy and cool start to the week here on the mountain and found ourselves on Tuesday evening deep in fog and cloud. With a beautiful cool breeze blowing through the windows I couldn’t help but embrace the ever so slight winter feeling and whip up a big pot of veggie stew to enjoy.

Vegetable stews are really a no brainer and this vegan recipe is super simple and quick to prepare; once it’s on the stove you just need a little time for it to bubble away and you’re done. A great big pot of healthy and tasty stew full of hearty vegetables and the delicious texture and flavour of barley, it really is the thing for cool of even better cold rainy nights.

I added almonds for something a little different and really just used what vegetables we had on hand. Try a combination of any sturdy root vegetables and for the greens, brussel sprouts would be wonderful as would spinach in place of the lettuce. Enjoy this simple vegetarian recipe when you feel like something hearty, healthy, warm and delish; best served with crunchy bread and a little dollop of non-dairy or dairy yoghurt.

Preparation time: 60mins // Serves 4-6

• 2 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 chillies, diced (optional)
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tsp good quality curry powder
• 750g (1½ lb) (approx. 4) potatoes, roughly chopped
• 220g (8 oz) (approx. 3) carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
• 220g (8 oz) (approx. 1) zucchini, roughly chopped
• 1 cos or ½ an iceberg lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1 cup pearly barley
• ¾ cup raw almonds
• 2½ lts (5 pts) vegetable stock

Heat the oil in a good sized pot, fry the onion over a medium heat for a minute of two, add the garlic and chilli if using and continue to cook for another quick minute.

Add the fennel seeds and the curry powder with a splash of vegetable stock, fry until the curry powder, stock and onion form a paste; being careful not to burn the curry powder and fennel seeds.

Add the potatoes and carrots with a little more stock and continue to cook over a medium heat for a few minutes tossing the vegetables around to coat well in the curry mixture.

Add the barley and almonds, toss to combine and then add the remainder of the stock, bringing to a gentle boil allowing to simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasional, until the barley is soft and stew thick.

Add the diced zucchini and stir though cooking for a further 5 minutes, add and stir though the lettuce just before serving.

Serve this great simple vegetable stew with lots of crusty bread and topped with a little non dairy or dairy yoghurt if you like.