Despite it being mid May, today was cold, wet and grey and has left me craving something warm and hearty. Like a stew or soup. I usually fall back on my Thai red curry coconut soup but I wanted something different.

I recently rediscovered my love for lentils and found this recipe. It’s easy to make, hearty, minimal ingredients which I had in my pantry- and always tend to have in my pantry.

Initially, looking at the spice list, I was concerned it might be too much for my husband as he’s not a fan of spicy food. He actually enjoyed it – warming without the spice burn.

• Prep time 10 minutes
• Cook time 30-35 minutes
• Servings: 5-6

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 yellow onion diced small
• 2 carrots peeled and diced small
• 1 can diced tomatoes (15 ounce can)
• 1 cup dried lentils
• 1 can black beans drained (15 ounce can)
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth

Instructions

1. In a large pot add olive oil and sauté garlic for one minute.
2. Add diced onions and carrots and continue to sauté until onion is tender, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, stir and cover.
4. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until lentils and carrots are tender, approximately 25 to 30 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 171kcal |Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g |Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g |Sodium: 640mg| Potassium: 510mg |Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg