Late summer is often the time when you start looking for heavier comfort foods as the weather gets cooler. However, it may be too early to dive into classic winter dishes.
Take lentil stew for example. It is a heavier dish, but not as heavy as beef stew. While many lentil stews are vegetarian, my particular recipe includes a bit of bacon to appeal to the carnivores in my family.
Hearty Lentil Stew
This hearty lentil stew is a great alternative to heavier beef stews and has the benefit of heart healthy fiber.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 slices bacon chopped
- 2 cups potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups carrots cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. rosemary leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp. salt to taste
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup brown lentils soaked for 24 hours
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 tsp. dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp. thyme finely chopped
- 3 cups kale stripped from the stems and finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium. Add the onion and bacon and sauté for a couple of minutes. Stir in the potatoes and carrots and cook for another ten minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown slightly.
- Add the garlic and rosemary, cook for an additional minute, then add the spices and stir another moment. Pour the apple cider vinegar into the pot and stir, then the stock.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the stew to a rolling boil. Add the lentils and reduce the heat to medium-low, then simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. In the last five minutes add the kale.
- Take the pot off the heat and stir in the honey, mustard, thyme.
- Serve hot and refigerate left overs for up to 3 days.
Notes
You can always used canned lentils. If you don't have time to soak dried lentils for 24 hours just allow more time for cooking.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
