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This quick stew of fresh seasonal vegetables is comfort personified, particularly served with the cheesy rice. The health-conscious can swap the rice for pearl barley or spelt, boiled and mixed with olive oil and some garlic. Serves four.
4 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra
3 garlic cloves, sliced
5 spring onions, cut on an angle into 2cm long slices
250g broad beans (fresh or frozen)
250g peas (fresh or frozen)
Around 300ml vegetable stock
4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 little gem lettuces (300g in total), quartered lengthways
20g chopped mint
Salt and black pepper
Grated zest of 1 lemon
For the rice
250g basmati rice
50g unsalted butter
430ml boiling water
80g grated parmesan (or rennet-free alternative)
1½ tbsp lemon juice
Start with the rice. Put the rice and a third of the butter in a saucepan, put on a high heat and stir as the butter melts. Add the boiling water and some salt, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, pour the oil into a large sauté pan and, over medium heat, sauté the garlic and spring onion for four minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beans and cook for four minutes, then add the peas, stock and thyme – the stock should cover the vegetables. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for five minutes. Finally, add the lettuce and cook for seven minutes, stirring from time to time. The dish is ready when the lettuce has softened but isn't soggy and the stock has reduced by about half.
To serve, add the parmesan and remaining butter to the hot rice and fluff up with a fork. Add the lemon juice, season to taste and spoon on to serving plates. Remove the thyme from the vegetable mix, stir in the mint, taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the stew generously over the rice, dribble over some oil and sprinkle some black pepper and grated lemon zest on top.
• Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.
