Name: Vegetable Stew with Herb Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup fresh ripe tomatoes; 1 tablespoon sugar; 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh root ginger; 3 tablespoon finely chopped shallots; 2 tablespoon chopped garlic; 2 teaspoon salt, or to taste; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground five-pepper mixture or black pepper; 8 1/2 ounce vegetable stock; 3 thyme sprigs; 3/4 cup baby carrots; 1/2 cup baby sweet corn; 3/4 cup baby zucchini; 1/2 cup or 4oz red peppers, seeded and cut into 5 cm strips; 225 gram French beans; 4 spring onions, cut diagonally into 5 cm pieces; 2 tablespoon unsalted butter; 2 finely snipped fresh chives; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander; 3 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil; salt and freshly ground five-pepper mixture or black pepper

Vegetable Stew with Herb Sauce

A touch of the creamy sauce adds great flavor to this vegetable stew. With ginger and shallots in the stew, you might not even need the sauce.

Preparation Time30 min

Cooking Time15 min

Ingredients

1 cup fresh ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh root ginger
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground five-pepper mixture or black pepper
8 1/2 ounces vegetable stock
3 thyme sprigs
3/4 cup baby carrots
1/2 cup baby sweet corn
3/4 cup baby zucchini
1/2 cup or 4oz red peppers, seeded and cut into 5 cm strips
225 grams French beans
4 spring onions, cut diagonally into 5 cm pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 finely snipped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground five-pepper mixture or black pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Drop in the tomatoes and blanch for 5 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon.
Skin the tomatoes and halve lengthways, then run your fingers round the centre to seed them. Strain the juice through a fine sieve and discard the seeds. Chop the flesh into 1 cm cubes, sprinkle with the sugar and leave to drain in a colander for 30 minutes, reserving any juices.
Heat the olive oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the ginger, shallots, garlic, salt and pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes.
Add the stock, thyme, carrots and sweet corn and cook, covered, over a high heat for 3 minutes until the carrots are partially cooked.
Add the zucchini, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, beans and onions, cover and cook for 4 minutes.
Test the vegetables with a knife to check they are cooked.
In a separate pan, reduce the reserved tomato juices over a high heat until you only have one tablespoon left.
When the vegetables are cooked, transfer to a warm platter using a slotted spoon. Reduce the vegetable juices left in the wok or frying pan by about half.
Add the tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, butter, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 1 minute and pour over the vegetables. Serve immediately.