Don't miss this stew. This is out of this world!
* Exported from MasterCook *
Lentil-Spinach Stew
Recipe By : Beth Jayapalan/Ruth Hoffman
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Beans Casseroles
Ethnic Main Dishes, Vegetarian
Soups Vegetarian
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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1 cup dry lentils
1 medium onion -- chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon broth or water -- (more if needed)
4 cups water
1 can tomatoes -- cut up (7-1/2 oz.)
4 teaspoons instant vegetable bouillon granules
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed -- crushed
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
2 medium carrots -- chopped (1 cup)
1 package frozen chopped spinach -- (10 oz.)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar -- or red wine vinegar
Rinse lentils; set aside. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cook onion and garlic in broth till tender but not brown. Stir in the lentils, water, tomatoes, bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, fennel seed, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carrots and frozen spinach. Bring to a boil, breaking up spinach with a fork; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes more or till lnetils are tender. Stir in vnegar. Discard bay leaf. To serve, ladle into individual bowls.
This is from a friend's vegetarian Indian cookbook--sorry, I don't know which one. It's an Indian dish but the Hindi name wasn't given.
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NOTES : * I used 4 or 5 cloves of garlic--we love garlic.
* I used a 14-1/2 oz. can of tomatoes--we love tomatoes.
* I forgot to put in the vinegar at the end. No one knew the difference, but the friend who gave me the recipe said it adds a nice dimension to the dish.
* For the bouillon granules, I used NutraSoup powder, same measurement. It was that or a veg bouillon cube, and I figured the powder was easier to measure and get the equivalent amount.
* If you remove the lid at the end for a couple of minutes, you'll get a more stew-like consistency. Otherwise, it's more like a thick soup. Either way, this dish is absolutely delicious. It's just as good warmed up (we're empty-nesters, so we couldn't eat the whole pot by ourselves in one sitting!). It sounds like a lot of ingredients, but it's really easy. One could also adapt it for crockpot cooking, I should think.
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