Red Lentil and Potato Stew

I can’t believe that its already November… I blinked and summer was over. Then school began, and now I’m 2 months deep in the thick of it. Where did the time go? It feels like there’s never enough of it. That being said, I’ll keep it brief today. This stew is the perfect cozy meal for a rainy or snowy day: it’s flavourful, hearty and quick to make. I love it served with crusty bread and a cool spoonful of sour cream.

This stew is delicious eaten right away, but leftovers are wonderful as the flavours have time to develop a little bit more and the potato really breaks down - because of this the stew can thicken up so add a splash more stock to thin it out your leftovers if you’d like.

Red Lentil Potato Stew

Makes 2-3 servings

1 medium white onion, small diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 tbsp oil

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala

salt, pepper

3 medium potatoes, chopped into 1/2 inch wide cubes

3 tbsp tomato paste

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

2 1/2 cups veggie stock (recipe here) or store bought

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add onions and fry for about 4 minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic and fry for another 30 seconds. Stir in the turmeric, curry power, garam masala and salt and fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning, until it begins to form a sticky coating on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes or so.

Add the potato and cook for another 4-5 minutes, then add the veggie stock and red lentils and season with salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low for 15-17 minutes until potatoes have softened and lentils are cooked through.

This stew is delicious served with crusty bread, sour cream/plain yogurt (dairy free of course for plant-based eaters), sunflower seeds and/or parsley.