This lentil stew is very nutritious and so tasty. It has all the benefits of mighty superfood lentils that are full of protein. And it’s a tasty meal. Lentils are good in so many ways: your body, your blood, your pocketbook, your taste buds, and even the environment.
Lentil Stew Ingredients
Lentils
Learn more about The Mighty Lentil – Tiny Superfood
Power Nutrients in Lentils: iron, protein, phosphorus, copper, Vitamin B1, potassium
Power Plus Nutrients: Fiber, tryptophan, manganese, Extreme Power Nutrients: Folate, Molybdenum
Beans and lentils are generally considered a low-cost, healthy alternative to other protein sources like meat, dairy, and grains.
Onions
WHO recognizes that Onions help relieve symptoms such as coughs, congestion asthma, and respiratory infections. Onions have protective phytonutrients, vitamins, trace minerals, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and unique anti-inflammatory nutrients. Onions are a must in this lentil stew.
Garlic
To get the most health benefits from Garlic, let it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes, after cutting and before eating or cooking. Waiting for 5 – 10 minutes allows the health-promoting allicin to form. If you do not let it sit, allicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait. Add garlic to your soups, stews, and salad dressing recipes to lower high cholesterol. Sometimes it is easier to use some Organic Freeze Dried Garlic so no chopping and peeling.
Almond Oil
Almond oil has a high smoke point making it great for stir-frying and sautéing. It is good for High Heat Up To 460F. What I like about it is that it has a light, clean flavor that does not alter the taste of the foods I am using it to cook with as it works well for sauteeing the onions for this lentil stew.
Salt
Himalayan Salt is good for you! 100% NATURAL PINK & CERTIFIED: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt is Kosher Certified, Non-GMO, and does not contain any MSG, Soy, Gluten, Dairy, or anti-caking agents.
Celery
Celery is a negative calorie food, meaning it takes the body more calories to digest it than the calories it contains, making it an excellent food for weight loss. One celery stalk has only a few calories because it is full of healthy cellulose. It is 95% water, very alkaline, and filled with fiber. It has weight loss benefits that are well known but you would be surprised at its other amazing properties.
Carrots
Carrots add an orange crunchy superfood to this stew. You get Vitamin A and many other powerful health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging. Adding carrots to this lentil stew adds colour and a sweet crunch.
Kombu Seaweed
Kombu makes beans and lentils more digestible. It is a good source of vegetable protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamins, anti-oxidants, iodine, and other trace minerals. You can use any seaweed that you have. Get the best Seaweed Kombu Whole Seaweed – 250g – Canadian, Organic and Eco-Friendly Certified – Easy to use Sea Vegetable – Hand harvested
Herbs
Basil
Basil has been considered to be ‘The Oldest Herb’. It has been used for health reasons for its distinct and delicious flavour. It is one of my favorite herbs to use in my kitchen.
Thyme and Marjoram – adding these herbs will give a good flavour. Marjoram is minty and earthy like thyme and it’s a little sweeter
Parsley, Fresh
It is a popular herb that is a superfood. We see it as something that decorates a food dish, especially in a restaurant. The truth is that it adds a subtle flavour to many recipes.
Learn How to Cook the Lentils
Beans and lentils can be challenging to the digestive system due to their high fiber and starch. I am quite careful about how to cook beans and lentils as I don’t want to experience the common thing we all associate beans with…GAS! So do check this out before making your lentil stew.
Now let’s make our lentil stew for dinner.
Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3-6 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 2 tsp almond oil or vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole green lentils soak overnight
- 1 piece kombu seaweed*
- 2 carrots diced
- 3-5 tsp Himalayan salt
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp basil
- 3 tsp marjoram
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- Soak the lentils overnight and follow directions for Cooking Beans & Lentils (if you would like to have gas-free lentils.
- Chop the onions, garlic, and celery.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil in a pot.
- Dice the carrots.
- Add the remaining ingredients; carrots, kombu seaweed and dry herbs to the pot.
- Simmer for 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
- Remove the Kombu from the pot and chop it; return it to the stew.
- Serve the lentil stew in bowls and garnish it with sprigs of fresh parsley.
Notes
Now that you have enjoyed a lentil stew, check out these other recipes.
More Delicious Stews & Soups:
Warming Vegetable Stew with Peanut Butter – This is a tasty vegetable stew with peanut butter is filled with superfood vegetables. The sweet potatoes add that sweetness to the stew making it extra tasty.
Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Vegetable Stew – This is a very nutritious stew with 4 of the 12 Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods. It is an easy stew to make.
Red Lentil Soup -This is an easy powerfood soup to make. You will be amazed by the great taste. It’s truly unique! The lentil was selected by Health Magazine as one of the top 5 healthiest foods on the planet!
Pumpkin Soup – With onion, ginger, spices, and sweet pumpkin, this Halloween soup recipe for pumpkin soup is delicious! I love that it is vegan and creamy without all that cow’s milk. The pumpkin seeds on top add a lovely crunch.
Black Bean Soup is Really Good For You On a Cold Day – This black bean soup is so tasty and nutritious. It is warming on a cold fall or winter day. It is easy to make and filled with nutritious superfood ingredients. Black beans are my favourite bean. Let’s not forget that this stew is full of protein from the beans. Do cook the beans so they are not gassy.
Delightful Pumpkin Stew For One of Your Fall Meals– It is fall, so it’s ‘Stew’ time and I think you’re going to love this ‘Vegan Pumpkin Stew’ recipe! Fall is when I start making lots of vegan stews because they are heartening, nourishing and so easy to make. I have to say that summer is my favourite season, but there is so much beauty at this time of the year. I love walking amongst the beautiful fall leaves.
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Thank you for the Lentil soup receipe! I had a friend a few years ago who used to make it but we are
unfortunately no longer in contact and I never wrote down her receipe. Thank you so much!
You are welcome Debbie, let us know how it works for you and what changes you make to it.
Diana, if you are no longer cooking the "stew" with tomatoes, what are you using for the liquid?
Patt, it starts with the water the lentils are cooked in then "adding more water if necessary"
BTW I added above: cooked with water cooked in – Not sure if that was the right way to say it.
Lentils, like all legumes benefit from a good soaking. Give the soaking water to your plants and rinse well. Be on the look out for little stones when you are cooking lentils and beans. ; French green lentils are a great substitute and double in size and volume when you soak and sprout them for a few days.; Soaked and sprouted lentils are cooked in 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer making a double portion and store ( or freeze) the left overs in glass mason jars.; Great recipe, Diana
Thank you Afke for your tips which I do too. I am still to post the "How to Cook Beans" article.
I wanted to say that I was almost 2 years without a job. After 25 years of loyal dedication to my work place , I was kicked out because of the economics.
I went down so flat with money that I had to restructure my entire daily food intake and Lentils became the no. 1 and most frequent food on our table simply because we could not afford something else and, the Lentils came into our budget and we all survived.
Still after I recovered, my entire family continued consuming Lentils….we learned to cook them in many ways. I will always be grateful to this little legume for helping me out and maintaining my whole family in excellent health ! 🙂
Lentils are a go-to food for athletes also!
Did you know that you can saute onions/veggies in water? You can always add the oil for flavour at the end of the cooking cycle. The debate on fats and heat continues to rage and baffle. Animal fats , yes we are talking LARD apparently are the least damaged by high heat. I’ll have an avocado on a Hemp-flax-chia Carrot crisp for lunch. I know that these EFA’s will polish my arteries and keep my brain happy too.
So what is Kombu?
Good tip Afke, thank you!
Marie, * Kombu is seaweed makes beans more digestible but you could easily leave it out. Thank you for your question because now I added a link above where you can read about Kombu.
I’m wondering why you cook the lentils first before putting the soup together?
Janet, the lentils take longer to cook and if you follow the specific directions for cooking lentils it makes them much more digestible. Especially you do not want to put in the seaweed before they are soft as the salt in it will stop the lentils from becoming soft.
I grew up eating lentils & have never soaked them. Where do get green lentils? I have only used the brown & yellow.
Soaking the lentils makes them easier to digest.
I find my green lentils in supermarkets and in health food stores. Hope you can find some.
Hi there
I really follow you on Twitter and like your articles very much. Your information and presentation is awesome. Also the choice of topics. Keep up the good work. Thanks