There are a lot of foods that my two-year-old daughter won’t touch – she’ll often rotate a full 180 degrees to avoid them – but the one thing she will always eat, and in large quantities, is broccoli. Because of this, I’ve had to learn to weave it into most things I cook for her, including today’s recipe. This stew uses the stem in the base and the florets later; in between, there are chickpeas and fennel for flavour and texture, and orzo just for fun.
Broccoli, fennel and chickpea stew
If you’re cooking for children, by all means omit (or deseed) the chilli.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 small fennel bulbs (300g), finely sliced
1 large broccoli (450g)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 green chilli
750ml vegetable stock (suitable for vegans)
250ml white wine
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
100g orzo
¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Heat the oil in a large, deep casserole and, when hot, add the onion and fennel. Cut off the broccoli stalk and chop it into small dice, then throw these into the pot with the crushed garlic and chilli. Cook the mixture until soft (don’t skimp on the time, because this is where the flavour comes from), then add the stock, wine, chickpeas and pasta.
Cook for five minutes, then break up the broccoli florets into bite-size pieces with your hands and add to the pot. Cook for a further five minutes, or until the stew is fairly thick and the pasta is cooked through, then season with salt.
To serve, ladle into bowls, squeeze over the lemon wedges and finish with an extra drizzle of olive oil, if you wish.
