Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• plus extra for frying the almonds
• 1 carrot
• chopped
• 1 stalk celery
• chopped
• 1 onion
• chopped
• 1 turnip
• chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• chopped
• 150g/5½oz baby button mushrooms
• halved
• 250g/9oz green lentils
• 1.2 litres/2 pints vegetable stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 4 sprigs thyme
• handful almonds
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• quartered

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the carrot
• celery
• onion and turnip until softened – about five minutes.
• Add the garlic and mushrooms. Fry for a further five minutes.
• Add the lentils to the pan. Pour over the stock and add the herbs. Bring to the boil
• then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Just before the end of the cooking time for the stew
• in another pan
• fry the almonds in a splash of olive oil with the cinnamon for two minutes.
• Add the cherry tomatoes and warm through.
• Serve the lentil stew with the almonds and tomatoes.