Spiced Vegetable and Lentil Stew

This recipe is slightly adapted from a recipe that was slightly adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. Did you follow that? I had not eaten lentils in years and wanted to try them again. One of the best things about lentils is they do not need to be soaked or partially cooked before you use them. Some legume recipes can take hours to cook, but this stew is relatively quick. It makes a vat of stew. You can freeze any leftovers. I like to serve this with some rice. I make a pot of rice and use it throughout the week. I love to bring this to work. Warm, delicious, filling and low calorie! If you aren’t sure, or don’t have all these spices, don’t worry. You can eliminate, or reduce, what ever you like. The stew will still be tasty and healthy. I am not a lover of strong spices, and I find this stew flavorful but not too overpowering. I also like to cook a Parmesan rind in the soup for extra flavor. You don’t have to do that.  Another benefit is, this soup is very healthy. Lentils are a very nutritious.

2 cups of lentils (dry) Red lentils, French lentils…any kind can be used

10 ounces of fresh baby spinach, rough chopped or a package of thawed frozen spinach

1 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes – I prefer the petite diced

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. fresh ginger – I often substitute 1 tsp. of ground ginger

4 cups of chicken stock (store bought is perfect for this and you can use vegetable broth also)

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. mustard seeds

½ tsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. sugar

Kosher salt

Combine the onion and carrot in a hot soup pan with a light coating of olive oil.  I like to sprinkle a little kosher salt on them to help the process. Sauté them until they are just soft, not brown.  If your pan gets too hot, take it off the burner and add a splash of olive oil to cool it down. Lower the heat and put the pan back on the burner. Add in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the stock and spices, sugar and a pinch of salt. You can add more salt later. It’s best to season as you cook, instead of just at the end.  Put the cover on the pan and simmer (low heat) for about an hour until the lentils are soft. Your kitchen will smell wonderful.  If you have any leftover cooked vegetables, you can include them. Don’t forget to the let the stew cool before you place it in the fridge.