Hearty Lentil Stew

Dried Red Lentils

Lets face it, when the snow starts to fall and the air becomes cold, soup is what we need to warm the bones. This Lentil stew is a great way to warm up on those colder days and is hearty enough to stand alone but also great with bread, or as a side to an entree. I love cooking with Lentils because they are easy, and fast, and we almost always have them on hand. One thing I love about this recipe is the versatility in the root vegetables that you can use, because it’s easy to modify with what you have on hand, so feel free to experiment. Potatoes, beets, turnip, they all go well here.

Both yellow and red lentils will work just fine. I do prefer red for the appearance alone but they taste virtually identical.

Gather up the following:

1 yellow onion diced

1 cup rinsed red lentils

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 stalks celery diced

4 medium carrots diced

2 medium potatoes diced

4 cloves minced garlic

6 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

olive oil

Begin by sauteing the onions, celery and carrots in a crock, or dutch oven on medium heat in olive oil. When onions begin to become translucent and soft, add in the garlic, potatoes, and spices and continue to stir for about 5 minutes. Spices should become fragrant.

Add the cherry tomatoes, lentils, and broth and stir occasionally until a light boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 40 minutes stirring from time to time, until the lentils are fully cooked and potatoes are tender. They should fall apart when stirring and should thicken the stew. Serve while hot with a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley for garnish. This stew tastes even better the next day so plan to put some away for lunch, or double the recipe to freeze a batch and easily reheat on a busy weeknight when cooking time is precious.

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