Description
This Lentil Tortilla Stew is so easy and flavorful; it is sure to be a new family favorite. Plus, it’s Whole Food Plant Based: oil free, no processed ingredients to minimally processed ingredients, and gluten free!
Ingredients
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 bell pepper, finely diced (we used a mixture of orange, red, and yellow)
- 3 cups water
- 1 ½ cups Pacific organic vegetable broth
- 1 – 8 oz. can of tomato sauce, then rinsed with 8 oz. water
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 – 4 oz. can mild green chilies
- 2 – 15 oz. cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- ¾ cup dry brown lentils
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onion
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano (regular oregano works well too)
- Scant 1 teaspoon cumin (+/- to taste)
- Dash of cayenne pepper (+/- to taste)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (+ more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+ more to taste)
- Corn Tortillas (Certified Organic Corn Tortillas) We use Organic Gluten-Free.
- Avocados, sliced (Optional, added to individual servings)
- Hot Sauce (Optional, added to individual servings)
Instructions
- Mince the onion and bell pepper and set aside.
- In a large ceramic-lined Dutch Oven, over medium heat, sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-5 minutes until softened. (Add a Tablespoon of water if the onions and peppers start to stick).
- Next, add the following to the Dutch Oven: add the vegetable broth, water, tomato sauce, (and 8 oz. water rinsed from tomato sauce can), green chilies, tomato paste, black beans, corn, dried lentils, and the seasonings: chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, dried minced onion, cayenne pepper, sea salt and pepper. Mix well. Bring to a boil. Then immediately lower the heat to simmer. Cover the Dutch Oven and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of the lentils. If the lentils are not tender, cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Test the tenderness of the lentils again. Continue until lentils are tender.
- When the Soup-Stew is almost done, take several corn tortillas and cut them into long strips and place on a baking sheet. Broil under the low broil setting until crispy and lightly browned.
- Place soup-stew in individual bowls and top with sliced avocado and crispy tortilla strips.
Notes
* This tortilla soup is stew-like, but can easily be made more soup-like by adding some additional water. We recommend trying the soup-stew since it is really filling and hearty.
*Brown or green lentils can be used. The cooking time may vary slightly.
*Mexican Oregano‘s taste is a bit more citrusy and has subtle hints of lime that really enhance the flavor of chilies and paprika. Most grocery stores sell Mediterranean Oregano aka Greek Oregano (without actually labeling it as “Mediterranean Oregano”). It is simply labeled “Oregano”. You can find Mexican Oregano online if your grocery store doesn’t carry it. If you cook a lot of Southwestern type dishes, the small investment is definitely worth it.
*Vegetable Broth: We used Pacific Organic Vegetable Broth because it does not have MSG, and has no highly processed ingredients; however, Pacific has a very strong flavor so our water to broth ratio is heavy on the water and low on the vegetable broth. If you are using a vegetable broth other than Pacific, please adjust the water to broth ratio accordingly.