Cream Lemon Vegetable Hotpot with a Lemon Cream Sauce

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the thinly sliced potatoes, carrots, leek, coarsely chopped button mushrooms, and trimmed green beans. Add the olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and pepper, and mix well to ensure all the vegetables are evenly coated.

In a separate small bowl, mix the plain flour with a little milk to create a smooth paste. Gradually add the rest of the milk while stirring to avoid lumps. This will be the base for your lemon cream sauce.

Transfer the flour and milk mixture into a saucepan. Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens. Once thickened, reduce the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme to taste.

Add the white beans to the bowl of seasoned vegetables and mix well. Then, carefully pour the lemon cream sauce over the vegetables, ensuring they are evenly covered.

Transfer the vegetable and sauce mixture into a large baking dish. Arrange the baby asparagus on top. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes.

After 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes to allow the vegetables to brown slightly on top.

Garnish the hotpot with chopped fresh parsley before serving. This dish can be served directly from the oven to the table for a comforting and hearty meal.