Golden Lentil Stew

Great for a cold winter's night!

Golden Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Small/Medium Yellow Onions, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
2 Leeks, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
8 Stalks Celery, Diced (1 Cup)
4 – 6 Carrots, Diced (1 Cup)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Split Yellow Daal (Lentils)
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Rice
1 x 400g Can Crushed Tomato
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
6 – 8 Cups Vegetable Stock, or More if Desired
1 1/2 Teaspoons SaltFreshly Ground Black Pepper

4 Cups Broccoli Florets, Par Cooked from Fresh or Frozen
1 Cup Frozen Peas

Method:

1. In a large stockpot over medium heat, get the oil nice and hot, and saute the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are translucent and all the veggies are tender.

2. Add in the herbs and spices, and cook for another 10 minutes to let the flavors begin to mingle.

3. At this stage, you can go ahead and introduce your dry lentils and rice, as well as the tomatos, vinegar, and 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer, adding in more stock if it threatens to dry out and burn, for about 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through.

4. Give it a taste, add in the salt and pepper, taste again, and adjust the seasonings if desired.

5. Toss in the frozen veggies, kill the heat, and just stir them through the mixture to thaw. Allow 5 minutes for this last round of veg to come up to temperature. Add in the remaining amount of stock if it’s too thick for your tastes, and even more if you’d prefer something soupier. Serve piping hot!


Source: http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/warming-from-the-inside-out/

Serves: 8-10 (good for taking to work the next day)

Rating: 4