Step By Step Recipes {fall lentil stew}

Tags

fall, gluten free, lentils, paleo, recipe, seasonal, soup, step by step, stew, vegan

Happy rainy day! Are you guys enjoying the slowing-down-attitude of fall as much as I do? Everyone comes to a rest after being so busy all summer long. And finally staying at home instead of going out for drinks and dancing is socially acceptable even on weekends. Today I have a fall-inspired recipe for you, that I cooked up at the beginning of this week. This dish is easy to make, can be frozen and is actually pretty budget-friendly. That’s what makes a student’s heart jump! Here comes the step by step recipe:

Fall Lentil Stew

gluten-free, paleo, vegan

makes 5 portions

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 medium sized onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small yellow bell pepper
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 medium zucchini
• 4 small tomatoes
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 cup yellow lentils
• 5 cups water
• handful raisins *opt
• 1.5 cubes vegetable broth
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp curry
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp chilies
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat some olive oil in a big pot on the stove. Cut up the onions, press the garlic and place in the pot. Let them sizzle and stir until they are slightly browned.

2. Dice the bell pepper and add to the mix. Deglaze with the red wine. Let simmer on medium-low heat.

3. Cut off both ends of the zucchini, rasp roughly.

4. Remove the tomato-stems, cut into small pieces.

5. Add both, zucchini and tomatoes, to the pot, stir.

6. Rinse the lentils under water. Add them to the pot, stir and enjoy the vibrant colors.

7. Add raisins and spices…

9. and the water with vegetable broth. Close the lid and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

10. As soon as your stew has thickened up, it’s done. You might want to add some salt or pepper – that’s up to your taste.

11. Serve in soup bowls and add some herbs and raisins as garnish.

This warm and hearty fall dish can also be frozen easily. It’s a good way to get your children to try lentils, due to the light sweetness of the raisins and the cinnamony taste.

You don’t have to eat the whole pot of stew at once, but can easily freeze it for later. I love to find some lentil stew in my freezer when I come home after a long day of work and all I want to do with my rainy evening is cuddle up on the couch, eating some stew and read a good book.
Hope you enjoy the fall colors and cozy days, I am off to a risotto-wine-evening with a good friend… at home.