Roasted garlic and vegetable stew

RECIPE

Roasted veggies
5 tbsp olive oil1 cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces.1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 red peppers, seeds/stem removed, chopped
1 whole garlic
Spices of your choice

Stew base
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried ginger
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried turmeric
2 cans of cherry tomatoes
500 ml vegetable broth
250 ml red lentils
4 tbsp tomato paste
3 handfuls of kale, peeled and torn into bite sized pieces
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and black pepper to taste

Roasted vegetables instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a large baking tray with baking paper or use a coated baking tray. Place the vegetables to be roasted (except the garlic) on a tray. Sprinkle spices of your choice and drizzle with olive oil and toss well so that all the vegetables are evenly coated. Cut the whole garlic in half. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of oil. Wrap tightly in foil and place on a baking tray with the vegetables. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to prevent uneven cooking.

Stew base instructions:

Sauté the onion and garlic in a casserole pan over medium heat in olive oil for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add all the spices, canned cherry tomatoes, vegetable stock and red lentils. Turn the heat up to high until the stew comes to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pan. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its peel into a blender. Add tomato puree, balsamic vinegar, about 1/2 of the vegetables and ladle in about 2 cups of soup. Blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour this mixture back into the pan with the rest of the vegetables. Stir the kale into the soup over medium heat and cook for about a minute. Enjoy!

Tip: serve with homemade pita or naan bread!