Hurry & Curry Lentil Stew
Lentils are loaded with fibre, protein, B vitamins (especially folate), zinc, copper, manganese and iron. They also are rich in polyphenols known to be anti-inflammatory.
Adding lentils to your diet is smart for so many reasons, but if you’re looking to eat more plant-based foods then lentils are one of the legumes at the top of my list. Mostly for their high fibre and protein composition, but also the micronutrients as a bonus. Those B vitamins are packed in and ditto on the minerals.
I talk more about iron and its effect on mental health over here on the blog if you want to read more.
Be sure to eat your vegan iron source with vitamin C. This will enrich the flavour of your foods, and it will help you to absorb this non-heme iron. Easy with a recipe like this as a topping of lime juice and some red peppers in the stew make it a perfect match. Okay let’s get to that recipe.
Ingredients & Directions
Estimated time: 30 minutes
Effort/Skill: Medium
Stew
4 cups of kale, finely chopped
2 cups of dry red lentils
4 large carrots, finely chopped
4 stalks of celery, finely chopped
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large portobello mushroom, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1L of veggie broth
1 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of curry powder
½ tsp black pepper
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or 1 tbsp dry rosemary)
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp celery salt
2 cups of water
1 tbsp olive oil
fresh parsley & rosemary to garnish
fresh lime for a squeeze
Directions
Chop all the veggies for the stew, toss and set aside. Be sure to rinse your lentils.
In a large saucepan, add 1 cup of the veggie broth and the lentils. Over medium high heat, bring the lentils to a boil and add the celery, carrots and onions. Stir over medium heat for a few minutes until the veggies begin to soften. Add the remainder of the veggie broth. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
In a frying pan, add the oil, mushroom, red pepper and stir fry until the mushroom begins to brown. Add the garlic and some water. Once the veggies have softened add to the lentil mixture in the pot. Add the remaining spices and simmer until the flavours are well-absorbed (10 minutes).
Serve hot with a sprig of parsley and rosemary. Squeeze some fresh lime juice on top as well. This recipe makes enough for 3-4 small servings. You can add it to rice if you have leftovers. Enjoy!
