So I had purchased a bag of lentils at the store – not know what I was going to use them for – I looked up some soup recipes and came across a great recipe forVegetable Lentil Stew! Not only does this recipe make a TON of stew but its SUPER cheap – I made it for about 1.15 a serving. THAT IS CHEAP – and its really healthy and yummy too which just makes it even better! Here is my version – slightly adapted from the original recipe - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/vegetable-lentil-stew-recipe/index.html
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium zucchini, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 cups dried lentils, picked over for stones
- 1 cup red wine
- 32 oz. chicken broth or stock – sub vegetable broth if desired
- 2 20 oz. cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tablespoon basil
- 2 cans kidney beans, black beans or white beans, drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Directions
In a large heavy pot, heat oil and cook onions abd garlic until tender. Stir in green, red peppers and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in zucchini. Add all the spices and toss to coat. Stir in the lentils. Add the wine, broth, tomatoes, oregano and basil. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. If more liquid is needed, add 1 cup of water. Stir the stew occasionally. When lentils are tender, stir in the beans. Cook for another 20 minutes. Season to taste. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Give it a whirl – I definitely suggest this for anyone who is busy and wants to save some time in the kitchen – since it makes such a large amount you can freeze and eat at a later date (I froze half of the pot to eat in a few weeks and my husband and I STILL ate it 3 nights in a row). Time saver if you ask me!
