I don’t know about you, but when the weather starts to cool off and the leaves start to change, it’s time to switch it up from the light summer meals to something a little heartier!
This simple stew fits that bill! I have been experimenting with more meatless recipes and stumbled across this one and it is a sure winner in my book (Lisa is still waiting for her sample so she can’t hep be the judge of it yet!) I love the added depth the fire roasted tomatoes give to the dish! The artichokes in this stew add fiber, vitamin C, and folate. This aromatic and tasty Middle Eastern dish is great served alone or over brown rice or pasta.
If you are new to cooking with lentils, for best results, always be sure to soak them in water for a few hours (or overnight). This helps to soften them a bit more. No time to soak? Not a big deal, they will soften during the cooking process, as they soak in the juices.
Using fire-roasted tomatoes is not essential, but they will give the stew a delicious smoky flavor. I actually only added 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes since I read the recipe wrong before I went shopping on any bought 1. I improvised and added a small can of Rotel and a small can of regular diced tomatoes. Flavor was still amazing (in fact I think I like it better with the added heat from the Rotel!)
Try this one out and let me know what you think!
Lentil Artichoke Stew Recipe
Makes 6 servings
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup dry (uncooked) red lentils (3 cups cooked)
1 bay leaf
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon
2 24-ounce cans chopped tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted), undrained, or 6 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1 cup tomato juice
1 1/2 cups quartered artichoke hearts (1 9-ounce frozen package or 1 15-ounce can)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Heat broth in a large saucepan. Add onion and sauté on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add dried lentils, bay leaf, and water to pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add lemon juice, tomatoes and their liquid, artichokes, and crushed red pepper (if using). Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add salt and black pepper, or to taste.