Weeknight Recipes: Easy and Delicious Lentil Stew
On a chilly weekday night a hot bowl of hearty soup or stew is just the thing to warm you up. Unfortunately, with time at a premium, your options are pretty limited. Or are they? Here's our recipe for a delicious and healthy lentil and vegetable stew that's become a weekday staple in our home. It's less brothy and less time-consuming adaptation of a recipe we wrote about here a while back. This version takes advantage of some of the prepared offerings from Trader Joes, notably their steamed lentils and mirepoix mix, and allows you to get dinner on the table in a little over a half hour.
Ingredients:
- One package Trader Joes cooked lentils (from the vegetable section)
- One container Trader Joes prepared mirepoix mix or one medium onion, one large carrot, and two stalks of celery, all diced
- 1/2 pound smoked ham or chicken apple sausage, diced (omit for a vegetarian version)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 cups (one 32 oz. carton) chicken broth
- 1 cup shredded cabbage or greens like swiss chard or kale
- 1 cup diced fingerling potatoes
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or pinch of dried)
- 1 small sprig fresh rosemary (or pinch of dried)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or pot. Brown ham or sausage in olive oil, then add mirepoix and potatoes and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add cabbage or greens, and cook another 5 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and herbs, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until all vegetables are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve accompanied with good crusty bread. Serves 4–6.
