Hearty Lentil Stew

There’s nothing like a comforting bowl of stew in the winter. This stew is so tasty and satisfying. Even though it’s vegetarian, it is so hearty you won’t even notice there’s no meat in it!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cups carrots, diced

1/2 large white onion, chopped

10 medium white mushrooms, roughly chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. dried basil

2 bay leaves

2 19 oz. cans red or brown lentils, drained and rinsed

1 cup cold water

2 cups vegetable broth

1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

3 medium red potatoes, cubed, skin on

2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the carrots, onion, and mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so the onions do not burn. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add in the garlic, basil, pepper, and bay leaf. Saute for another 10 minutes to bring out the flavours.

Add the lentils, vegetable broth, and water into the soup pot. Simmer for one hour over low heat with the lid propped open. Stir occasionally.

After an hour, add the tomatoes, potatoes, and salt and allow to simmer, uncovered, for another 40-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are just cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread.

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan