Somewhat Hearty Lentil Stew
This recipe is originally from Clean Eating magazine and listed as "Hearty Lentil Soup". Their soup was hardly hearty and I've fiddled with it. The first time I made this my husband said that he "really loved the flavor the bacon brought to the dish" When I looked at him puzzled he said there had to be bacon in it because there's no way it could be this good without some kind of meat in it.
This recipe is originally from Clean Eating magazine and listed as "Hearty Lentil Soup". Their soup was hardly hearty and I've fiddled with it. The first time I made this my husband said that he "really loved the flavor the bacon brought to the dish" When I looked at him puzzled he said there had to be bacon in it because there's no way it could be this good without some kind of meat in it.
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup brown rice
- 2 onions chopped (red, yellow or white, whatever you have on hand)
- 1 red bell pepper chopped (optional)
- 2 carrots chopped (optional)
- 4 stalks celery chopped (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoons cumin ground
- 6-8 cups chicken broth can substitute vegetable broth
- 1 cup dried lentils
- Carbohydrate 41.5218561484375 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 2.2883552421875 g
- Fiber 9.80327658565342 g
- Protein 9.9463801328125 g
- Saturated Fat 0.33425203125 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (301g)
- Sodium 835.5562046875 mg
- Sugar 31.7185795627841 g
- Trans Fat 0.4727469765625 g
- Calories 226 calories
Step-by-step
- Rinse Lentils, pick through and discard any debris.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and bell pepper (and carrots/celery is you’re including them) and sauté for 5 mins or until brown. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add chicken (or veggie) broth, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add salt, stir and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
Limited counter space demands efficient pots, and a heavy-bottomed five-quart Dutch oven handles this entire preparation without requiring multiple pans. Brown lentils require thorough visual sorting before cooking to remove small stones and broken debris that slip past commercial packaging. Sautéing the aromatics over medium-high heat for five minutes caramelizes the natural sugars in the onions, creating deep savory notes without relying on animal fats. Blooming ground cumin and red pepper flakes directly in the hot oil for sixty seconds releases fat-soluble aromatic compounds that would otherwise remain locked inside the spices.
Simmering requires precise heat management; lowering the burner to low prevents the bottom starches from scorching while the brown rice and legumes hydrate. Adding the half teaspoon of sea salt during the final thirty-minute simmer prevents the legumes from developing an unwanted tough outer skin, a chemical reaction caused by sodium added too early in the softening phase. Broth selection alters the final profile substantially, allowing cooks to swap chicken stock for vegetable broth at a one-to-one ratio without modifying the structural cooking times.
