Description
Comforting, simple healthy goodness, all in one pot, is all you’ll need on a chilly day. Perfectly seasoned, it never fails to please, this delicious Lemony Red Lentil Spinach Stew is perfect for warming you up and filling your belly with wholesome goodness. Healthy and packed with feel-good ingredients, you can be assured that your tastebuds will be delighted. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 carrots, fine dice
- 3 celery ribs, fine dice
- 1 red bell pepper, fine dice
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- 4 cups water (or broth)
- 2 cup vegetable broth *
- 1 ½ cups dry split red lentils
- 1 Tablespoon white miso *
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 to 6 cups fresh baby spinach – optional
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- Pinch turmeric
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (+/-)
- 2 ½ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Optional Topping Ingredients:
- Cilantro
- Microgreens
- Lemon wedges
- Fresh tomatoes – small dice
- Red pepper flake
Instructions
- Place all the Spice/Herb Ingredients into a small bowl, mix well (exclude the bay leaf and cayenne pepper). Set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven/pot or similarly large stockpot, add the diced onion, celery, carrots, and red bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for approximately 7 to 9 minutes to soften them. Add a splash of water if they start to stick.
- Once the veggies are softened, then turn down the heat a little, and add the minced garlic, sauté for one minute.
- Stir in the Spice/Herb Mix and cook for a minute, stirring constantly until fragrant.
- Add all the remaining ingredients except for the fresh spinach, and cayenne pepper. Turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil, once boiling then immediately turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer until the lentils are soft, about 20 to 30 minutes).
- Taste test for flavorings, ramp up any spices as needed. Add the fresh spinach and cayenne pepper simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove bay leaf.
- Serve with your favorite toppings, and our Quinoa Flatbread. (Note we added ½ teaspoon of turmeric to our Quinoa Flatbread recipe. It was super tasty!
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. If using a different brand, then consider using 4 cups of veggie broth and 2 cups of water.
*Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free. Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil. You can also substitute with chickpea miso for a soy free version.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 4
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days.