Winter Root and Herb Hot Pot

Ingredients

For the hot pot

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 2 carrots, quartered lengthways and cut into 2 cm/1 inch chunks
• 1 turnip, sliced and cut into 2 cm/1 inch chunks
• 1 parsnip, sliced and cut into 2 cm/1 inch chunks
• 100 g pea and barley soup mix (or your favourite soup mix)
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
• 1-1.2 litres hot vegetable stock/broth
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon cornflour (optional)
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the carrot and parsnip crisps

• carrot and parsnips, skin pared into long, thin ribbons
• olive oil
• sea salt

Method

To make the hot pot

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 7 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring.

Transfer the onion mix to the slow cooker pot with the celery, root vegetables, soup mix, herbs, the smaller quantity of hot stock and tomato purée, then stir until combined. Cover and cook for 6–7 hours on low or 5–6 hours on high, until the vegetables and soup mix are tender, adding more hot stock if needed.

If the stew needs thickening, 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, mix the cornflour with a little cold water, then stir well into the slow cooker pot. Cover and continue to cook until thickened. Season to taste and serve in bowls, topped with an extra splash of olive oil and the carrot and parsnip crisps.

To make the carrot and parsnip crisps

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Place the vegetable peelings on a large baking sheet. Drizzle over a little olive oil and toss with your hands until the peelings are lightly coated in oil.

Spread them out, making sure they are not overcrowded. Season with salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, turning once or twice, until golden and crisp. Drain the on kitchen paper/paper towels and leave to cool and crisp up further before serving.