Well, the predictions were right. Snow, snow, snow. It’s been coming down since early morning, and the worst of it is due in this afternoon.
Luckily, I went to the store last night and stocked up. It’s been awhile since I’ve made a lentil stew, and I thought this recipe might be a good choice. Now that the mint growing wildly in my garden will be dead and covered with snow in a few hours, I figured I could use at least some up while it was still fresh. Enjoy!
Lentil Stew with Roasted Carrots and Mint
serves 6
1 1/2 lb carrots
1 1/2 lb yellow onions
4 tb olive oil
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup lentils (about 1/2 lb)
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 generous tb chopped fresh mint
1-2 tb lemon juice
1-2 tb red salsa
pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 375. Cut the carrots and onions into fairly large pieces, about 1 in. long for the carrots and 1/2 in. wedge for the onions. Toss carrots in a bowl with 1 tb. of oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet. Do the same for the onions. Roast vegetables for about an hour, or until they are soft and browned, stirring and turning them a few times during their roasting. After roasting, let them cool, then chop them very coarsely.
Combine lentils and 4 cups water in a large soup pot, along with 1 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender, but firm.
Add the chopped vegetables, vegetable broth, mint, 1 tb. lemon juice and salsa.
Simmer for about ten minutes to blend flavors. Correct seasoning to your taste. Place in individual serving bowls and put a few drops of olive oil on each serving.
A bit of feta cheese sprinkled on top would also be excellent.
