Potato Lentil Stew

About this Recipe

If you are interested in finding some great tasting meatless recipes we think you may like this Potato Lentil Stew. It has great textures, a nice combination of flavors and is very satisfying. We used a product from truRoots, which is a dehydrated Organic sprouted green lentil. In Grandmother's kitchen soups, stews and casseroles are our favorite meals, other than salads.

When you apply this method of meal preparation it means food prep is done ahead of time and that means less clean up and more fun at actual eating time. Plus, when you cook these types of meals you can usually count on leftovers, foodstuff to put into lunches and easy warm-up things for those days the kids beat you home and are are hungry. These kinds of recipes just require warming up in individual portions.

Why cook at home?/b>We love to encourage home cooking. Meals do not need to be complicated and one pot cooking is easy and many of these types of dishes are cost effective. For those working folks that have limited time in the evenings to spend with family, making up something like a pot of stew gives you a little piece of mind that coming home and making dinner is not going to be a big long event after a long day of work. If you can ease the food preparation by even one or two days out of the week that is just a little bit of less hectic time you can count on.

Grandmother's Tips for Potato Lentil Stew Recipe:

1. When we are making stews or soups, the method we prefer is to prepare all our ingredients first. We like to have everything measured and all the veggies chopped and ready before we start the cooking process. Being organized and creating a nice work flow can account for better time management.

2. If you have a big family to feed, adjust the portions on this recipe and make double or triple the amount.

3. We used our own Canned Tomatoes so if you do your own canning you can do this, otherwise, just purchase a 398ml can of stewing tomatoes to use.

4. We suggest serving with a leafy green salad.

5. We have this saying of "as-you-go" in the kitchen, which very much applies to cleaning up as you are doing the food prep and cooking. That can be as simple as wiping down the countertop and throwing out all the vegetable waste such as peelings when you are done that task rather than saving all the clean up for the very end. Having a sink filled with soapy dish water and washing the cooking implements as you go along is another great habit to get into. If you use the few minutes here and there in between processes like frying the onions, or waiting the times between adding ingredients to the pot, you'd be amazed how you can stay tidy and organized as you go along preparing your food dish.


Ingredients

(Print)

Makes 6 One-cup servings

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large Russet potato, enough for 2 cups chopped inton small cubes

2 carrots, washed and sliced into thin rounds,enough for 2 cups

1 cup stewed tomatoes

1/8 cup tomato paste

4 cups vegetable broth (or you can use chicken broth) we used Pacific brand

1 1/4 cups green lentils, we used dehydrated, packaged sprouted green lentils

1 teaspoon oregano flakes

1 Tablespoon parsley, fresh and chopped

1 teaspoon sage, fresh and chopped

1 teaspoon thyme, fresh and chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Have ready a Dutch oven or deep pot for stove top use.

2. Prepare all the vegetables. Dice the onion, mince the garlic clove.

3. Peel and cut the potato into small cubes and put them into a 2 cup measuring cup covered with cold water.

4. Peel or wash and slice the carrots thin. Make sure you have enough for 2 cups worth.

5. Cut all the fresh herbs into small pieces.

6. Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium low. Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes, until softened.

7. Add the carrots, stir in and cook another 3 minutes.

8. Turn the heat to medium high. Add stewed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir in to combine.

9. Add the potatoes and the fresh herbs. Stir in to combine.

10. Add the vegetable broth and stir in.

11. Add the lentils, and stir in. Add the salt and pepper.

12. Put the lid onto the pot, bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer with the lid on. Take a look and stir once in awhile. Cook for 30 minutes.

13. Shut off after 30 minutes. Leave the lid on and let the stew sit for another 20 minutes or more to absorb the flavors. The stew will thicken as the lentils continue to expand.

14. Serve warm, or you can make this dish ahead and once it is cooked, let it cool to room temperature then refrigerate and heat up portions as needed.

The lentil stew is good for up to 5 days if kept refrigerated.

Enjoy!

Return to this Potato Lentil Stew recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

Let's talk a little bit about lentils. This affordable legume is offers you an extremely healthy food choice. Lentils are a good source of energy for our bodies because they are slow-burning so keep us satisfied throughout the day, long after after consuming them. They are a good fiber food that are great for digestion.

Green, red or yellow? You can get green lentils, red and yellow lentils and brown lentils. Brown lentils are a good choice if you are making something like a veggie burger because they hold their shape when cooked. Green lentils also hold their shape and offer you a full lentil flavor in the dishes you make. The red and yellow lentils are the variety you find that are split into smaller sizes. Because they are no longer whole, they are used in recipes that you want them to offer a thickening texture. They work well in soups that will be pureed.

Should I pre-soak? Lentils, unlike beans, do not need to be pre-soaked before cooking. You should always rinse lentils before you cook them because sometimes there can be little stones left behind in the harvesting process. Lentils take only 15-20 minutes to cook and you use a 3 water to 1 lentil ratio. Some recipes that are popular to use lentils in are fillings for tacos, the base for curries, as a vegan burger substitute, in salads, soups and sauces. This is a pretty diverse legume. Use herbs and spices to enhance the lentils flavors.



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