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Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable and Farro Stew

4
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 mushrooms you like.

Ingredients

garlic clove(s)

6 medium clove(s), chopped, divided

fresh parsley

½ cup(s), flat leaf variety, coarsely chopped

table salt

½ tsp, or to taste, divided

black pepper

¼ tsp, or to taste, divided

olive oil

2 Tbsp

fennel seed

2 tsp

uncooked fennel bulb(s)

1 medium, chopped

uncooked onion(s)

1 medium, yellow, chopped

cremini mushroom(s)

10 oz, button or shiitake, cut into bite-size pieces

uncooked kabocha squash

2 pound(s), or butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-in pieces (4 c)

canned tomatoes

28 oz, whole San Marzano variety, crushed

fat free reduced sodium vegetable broth

4 cup(s)

uncooked farro

¾ cup(s), rinsed

dry lentils

¾ cup(s), black, green or brown variety, rinsed

parmesan cheese

1 oz, shaved

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 needed. Serve topped with garlic-parsley mixture and cheese.
  4. Serving size: 2 1/2 c

Notes

This can be made stovetop as well - just make sure to use a large, heavy bottomed pot. Cook as instructed (replacing slow cooker with a dutch oven or soup pot) and reduce the cook time to 1 ½ hours.

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