red lentil stew

With temperatures plummeting below zero, winter has officially arrived in Chicago. Warm up with this hearty stew filled with flavorful produce and zesty red lentils. This recipe is originally a lentil soup from The Sprouted Kitchen, however I adjusted it quite a bit to make it a more filling entree. This recipe yields 8 servings.

Ingredients:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 small spanish onions, coarsely diced
1 large carrot
Salt and pepper
2 leeks, chopped white parts only.
4 cups dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
3 tsps smoked paprika
1 1/2 T cumin
8 cups low sodium broth
1 small sweet potato, baked
3 stalks of swiss chard
1 cup chopped cilantro
juice of 2 limes or 1 lemon

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and a pinch of salt and stir until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the leeks, stir, and cook until softened, about another 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, broth, paprika and cumin and stir to combine. Bring everything to a boil, then down to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. At this point, the lentils should be soft, but not mushy.

Meanwhile, peel the sweet potato. Chop the potato and the chard. Add to the stew and stir until the chard melts a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add half of the cilantro and the citrus juice. Stir to combine.



Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro, if desired. serve with hearty whole grain bread or naan. Enjoy!