This recipe makes the most of the humble leek by placing it centre stage, in this healthy butterbean and quinoa casserole, which only uses a few ingredients. The recipe couldn’t be easier, char the leeks in a pan to get colour then thrown everything in one tray to roast in the oven until cooked through and softened. The leeks braise in the veg stock and take on so much flavour, finished with a cheesey zaatar crumb. A really warming and nourishing dish.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2-3 leeks
1 cup / 150g quinoa
2 cups / 500ml veg stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 thyme sprigs
2 tbsp baby capers
2x cans butterbeans, drained
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp zataar
1 lemon, zest and juice
METHOD
1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan.
2. Trims the leeks to remove most of the green leafy end of the leek. Cut them in half and again in half down the middle. Heat a pan over high heat with 1tbsp of olive oil. Cook the leeks cut side down until well charred, you may need to do this in batches.
3. Add the quinoa, garlic, thyme, capers and butterbeans to a deep roasting tray or casserole dish. Season and pour over the veg stock.
4. Lay the charred leeks on top, cut side up and drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper
5. Cover the dish with foil or a lid and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the quinoa is cooked through and fluffy and the leeks have softened.
6. Remove the lid and scatter over the zataar, nutritional yeast and lemon zest. Squeeze over the lemon juice to serve.
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