Sunday, March 9, 2014

Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew

I am a soup and stew kinda girl! For me, it's not just for those cold dreary days. I enjoy it for breakfast, lunch and dinner even during the heat of our wonderful Texas Summer! Soup is my comfort food, and it is a great way to pack lots of nutrients in one bowl!

Lately I have been on a lentil kick. I love how versatile they are and they are so good for you! I use them as a meat replacer all the time! All things lentil blog post coming soon!

For this Hearty Lentil Stew I used green lentils. You can find the green ones at your local grocery store. If you have a different color, you can use them. Red lentils have a much shorter cook time and can become mushy in soup and will change the texture of this stew.

 
 


1 large yellow onion, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
4-6 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
16 ounces lentils, rinsed
1 large can of diced tomatoes, drained
8 cups water
4 vegan beef flavored bouillon cubes 
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp each sea salt and black pepper
garlic powder, onion powder
 

 

 
Add the garlic, onion, celery and carrots to large soup pot, add about 1/4 cup of water to sauté the veggies. You do not need any oil to, just keep adding small amounts of water to continue to sauté. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Add the potatoes, lentils, tomatoes, water and bouillon cubes and seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then turn on low and simmer for at least 45 minutes, stirring often. At this point the veggies and lentils should be soft, the longer you let it simmer the more flavor it will have.
Taste the stew and add more seasonings to taste. I like to add a splash of worcestershire sauce(Kroger brand is vegan)
This stew reminds me of "Beef" stew with its hearty flavors! When you reheat it, you might need to add water since the lentils and potatoes will absorb the liquid.
 
I hope you enjoy this yummy vegan stew!