lentil, sweet potato & tomato stew
Packed with nutrients and fibre, this lentil stew is healthy comfort food at its best!
Growing up I don’t remember ever eating legumes, I didn’t really know they existed. The first time I ate a chickpea was when our Spanish relatives came to visit us and they made us Garbanzos. I thought they were delicious but as soon as the relatives left, the chickpeas disappeared too.
These days we know how good legumes are for us, I notice them on menus and food blogs, everyone is jumping on the legume band wagon.
My favourite legume is the humble lentil. They are so versatile and have a nice flavour all of their own to contribute to stews and soups. Lentils cook fairly quickly and there’s no long winded overnight soaking involved – we collectively breathe a sigh of relief.
Lentil stew is just the ticket when you need a hot comforting meal and you want it to be healthy and nourishing at the same time. The last few days we have experienced some less than Spring-y weather around these parts. In fact, it has been colder and wetter than it was all winter, and I just needed some steaming hot, satisfying stew to fill my belly and warm me up from the inside out.
For another recipe to warm the cockles of your little heart, try my baked herby meatballs in tomato sauce.
Needless to say I made a big pot of my lentil, sweet potato and tomato stew and I was soooo happy I did. This stew only gets better the next day, all the flavours seem to be that much more enhanced…. Stew for lunch? With a big piece of toast, bundled up on the couch anyone? Yes please!
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 2 stalks of celery finely chopped
- 1 400 g tin chopped tomato
- 1 1/2 cups red or black lentils
- 4 small sweet potatoes diced into small cubes skins on
- 3 cups boiling water
- 1 tsp mixed herbs
- Salt & black pepper
- 200 ml coconut milk
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Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in medium sauce pan, sauté onions and garlic until you can really smell the garlic cooking. About 3 mins on a medium heat. Add the celery and cook a little more, about 1 minute.
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Pour in the tin of tomato. Add the lentils, sweet potatoes and boiling water.
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Simmer on medium heat for about 45 minutes, check on the water every now and then and top up a little bit if it looks too thick. You want the stew to be thick but to still have a fair amount of sauce with it.
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Once the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes are cooked through, add herbs, salt & black pepper to taste and coconut milk. Stir in and serve.
I like to serve this stew with some gluten free french bread.
