Slow Cooker Vegetable and Farro Stew
4
Points®
Total time: 4 hr 30 min • Prep: 30 min • Cook: 4 hr • Serves: 6 • Difficulty: Easy
Feel free to mix up the vegetables here, using any kind of winter squash and mix of mushrooms you like.
Ingredients
Fresh parsley
½ cup(s), flat leaf variety, chopped
Table salt
½ tsp(s), or to taste, divided
Black pepper
¼ pinch(es), or to taste, divided
Olive oil
2 tbsp(s)
Fennel seed
2 tsp(s)
Fennel
½ pound(s), medium bulb, chopped
Onion
1 medium, yellow, chopped
Cremini mushrooms
10 oz, cut into bite-sized pieces
Canned tomatoes
28 oz, whole san marzano variety, crushed
Fat free reduced sodium vegetable broth
4 cup(s)
Uncooked farro
¾ cup(s), or spelt, rinsed
Dry lentils
¾ cup(s), black, green or brown variety, rinsed
Parmesan cheese
1 oz, shaved
Garlic
6 clove(s), large, chopped, divided
Butternut squash
2 pound(s), peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
1
Combine 1/3 of garlic and parsley in a small bowl; season with a pinch each salt and pepper and set aside.
2
If you have a slow cooker insert that you can saute in on the stovetop, use it to heat oil over medium-high heat. Add fennel seed and remaining garlic; cook, stirring, until fragrant and fennel and garlic begin to smell toasty, about 2 minutes. Add fennel bulb, onion and mushrooms and season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, if your slow cooker does not have a saute option, you can saute vegetables in a large skillet and transfer to slow cooker at this stage).
3
Add squash, tomatoes, broth, farro and lentils to slow cooker; season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper, or to taste. Cover slow cooker and set heat to high; cook until farro, lentils and squash are completely cooked through, 4 hours. Uncover, stir and season to taste if necessary. Serve topped with garlic-parsley mixture and Parmesan.
4
Serving size: 2 1/2 c
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