I love a good soup or stew especially those that warm me from my mouth to my toes. You see. I don’t do winter. At least, I don’t do winter well. This Hearty Lentil Stew is just one of the ways I console myself during these long, gray days and chilled-to-the-bone temps.
Hubby would say I’m whining, and I suppose I must be. I’ve done fairly well so far though. This may be my kinda’, sorta’ first whining party. I’m rather proud of myself for that since I usually start with my “I hate winter” chant around Labor Day.
Does that mean I’ve been a good girl? I sure hope so.
I’ll definitely be a good girl by chowing down on this stew. Low fat and low calorie are watch words for me these days after being sidelined from the gym due to some back issues. I won’t feel the least bit guilty when I have another bowl either.
I mean. Check out all those healthy veggies going on. Carrots, kale, lentils. Oh my goodness! But you don’t have to spread that word to the family. All they need to know is that this is one tasty, Hearty Lentil Stew.
- 2 cups lentils*
- 32 ounces low-sodium broth (vegetable, beef or chicken)
- Water
- 2 cups sliced celery
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 - 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
- 1 1/2 cups coarsely cubed small potatoes (I leave the peels on.)
- 4-5 sprigs thyme
- 3 cups coarsely chopped kale or spinach
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 Tablespoon (or more) ground chipotle pepper
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 Tablespoons hickory Liquid Smoke
- 1 can Rotel (I use Hot or Mexican.)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped hickory smoked ham or pork shoulder, optional
- 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Olive oil
- Cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
- Rinse the lentils thoroughly and set aside.
- Saute the onion, celery and garlic in 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil just until tender. Add in the drained lentils and sauté 3 - 5 minutes.
- Place the lentil mixture into the crock of the slow cooker. Add in the broth and 1 1/2 cups water or water to cover by 1 inch.
- Add in the thyme, bay leaves, ground chipotle, smoked paprika, Liquid Smoke, Rotel and the sliced carrots.
- Add in the beef or chicken stock concentrate or ham flavoring, if using.
- Cover and cook on LOW 6 hours or until lentils are tender, checking liquid on occasion.
- Add in the chopped ham or pork, kale and cubed potatoes. Turn heat to HIGH and continue to cook until the potatoes are soft, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar just before serving.
- *Lentils lose flavor with age so use them soon after purchase. Any type of lentil works well in this recipe -- French green, brown, black or regular green. Red lentils are used frequently in Indian cooking. They do not hold up well in this stew. Check the package to see if the lentils need to be presoaked. Some do; some do not.
