Lentil Stew is Nutritious, Full of Superfoods and Is Tasty

Lentil stew has all the benefits of the mighty superfood lentils which are full of protein plus many more nutritious vegetables.  And it is a tasty meal.

Lentil Stew

The lentil was selected by Health Magazine as one of the top 5 healthiest foods on the planet! They are good in so many ways:  your body, your blood, your pocketbook, your taste buds, and even the environment.  Beans are generally considered a low cost, healthy alternative to most other protein sources like meat, dairy, and most grains.

WHO recognizes that Onions help relieve symptoms such as coughs, congestion asthma, and respiratory infections. Onions are full of protective phytonutrients, vitamins, trace minerals, quercetin (an important flavonoid), chromium, and unique anti-inflammatory nutrients. Onions are a must in this lentil stew.

To get the most health benefits from Garlic, let it sit for a minimum of 5 minutes, after cutting and before eating or cooking.  Waiting for 5 – 10 minutes allows the health-promoting allicin to form.  If you do not let it sit, allicin is never formed, so it is worth the wait. Add some garlic to your soups, stews, and salad dressing recipes to lower high cholesterol.  Sometimes it is easier to use some Organic Freeze Dried Garlic so no chopping and peeling.

Almond oil has a high smoke point making it great for stir-frying and sautéing. It is good for High Heat Up To 460F.  What I like about it is that it has a light, clean flavor that does not alter the taste of the foods I am using it to cook with. It works well for sauteeing the onions for this lentil stew.

Himalayan Salt is actually good for you! 100% NATURAL PINK & CERTIFIED: Sherpa Pink Himalayan Salt is is Kosher Certified, Non-GMO, and does not contain any MSG, Soy, Gluten, Dairy, or anti-caking agents.

celery

Celery is a negative calorie food, meaning it takes the body more calories to digest it than the food itself contains making it a very good food for weight loss.  One stalk of celery has only a few calories because it is full of healthy cellulose. It is 95% water, very alkaline and filled with fiber.  Its weight loss benefits are well known but you would be surprised at its other amazing properties.

Carrots – forget about Vitamin A pills. With this orange crunchy superfood, you get Vitamin A and a host of other powerful health benefits including beautiful skin, cancer prevention, and anti-aging. Adding carrots to this lentil stew, add colour and a sweet crunch.

Kombu seaweed is a good source of vegetable protein, dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamins, anti-oxidants, iodine, and other trace minerals. Kombu makes beans and lentils more digestible but you could easily leave it out if you choose. 

Cooking Beans & Lentils – Beans and lentils can be challenging to the digestive system due to their high fiber and starch. I am quite fastidious about how to cook beans and lentils as I do not like experiencing the common thing we all associate beans with…GAS! So do check this out before making your lentil stew.

Basil has been considered to be ‘The Oldest Herb’.  It has been used for health reasons for its distinct flavour which is delicious.  It is one of my favorite herbs to use in my kitchen.

Lentil Stew

Lentil Stew

Lentil stew has all the benefits of the mighty superfood lentils which are full of protein plus many more nutritious vegetables.  And it tastes great.
Course Soup
Cuisine gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword Gluten-free, lentil stew, lentils, Vegan, vegetarian
Author Diana Herrington

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3-6 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 stalks celery chopped
  • 2 tsp almond oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup whole green lentils soak overnight
  • 1 piece kombu seaweed*
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 3-5 tsp Himalayan salt
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 3 tsp marjoram
  • fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Soak the lentils overnight and follow instructions: Cooking Beans & Lentils (if you would like to have gas free lentils)
  • Chop the onions, garlic, and celery.
  • Sauté onion, garlic, and celery in oil in a pot.
  • Dice the carrots.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
  • Simmer for 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
  • Remove the Kombu from the pot and chop it; return it to the stew.
  • Serve the lentil stew in bowls and garnished it with sprigs of fresh parsley.

Notes

Soak the lentils overnight and cook according to directions here: Cooking Beans & Lentils

Find out more about the ingredients I used for this recipe: Onion,garlic, celeryalmond oil, lentils, Kombu*, carrotsHimalayan salt, basil.
* Kombu is a seaweed that makes beans more digestible but you could easily leave it out if you choose.

Now that you have enjoyed a lentil stew, check out these other recipes.

More Delicious Stews & Soups:

Warming Vegetable Stew with Peanut Butter
Warming Vegetable Stew with Peanut Butter

Warming Vegetable Stew with Peanut Butter – This is a tasty vegetable stew with peanut butter is filled with superfood vegetables. The sweet potatoes add that sweetness to the stew making it extra tasty.

 Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Vegetable Stew – This is a very nutritious stew with 4 of the 12 Top Anti-Inflammatory Foods. It is an easy stew to make.

Red Lentil Soup -This is an easy powerfood soup to make. You will be amazed by the great taste. It’s truly unique! The lentil was selected by Health Magazine as one of the top 5 healthiest foods on the planet!

Pumpkin Soup – With onion, ginger, spices and sweet pumpkin, this Halloween soup recipe for pumpkin soup is delicious! I love that it is vegan creamy without all that cow’s milk. The pumpkin seeds on top add a lovely crunch.

 Black Bean Soup is Really Good For You On a Cold Day – This black bean soup is so tasty and nutritious. It is warming on a cold fall or winter day. It is easy to make and filled with nutritious superfood ingredients. Black beans are my favourite bean. Let’s not forget that this stew is full of protein which is from the beans. Do cook the beans so they are not gassy.

Delightful Pumpkin Stew For One of Your Fall Meals It is fall, so it’s ‘Stew’ time and I think you’re going to love this ‘Vegan Pumpkin Stew’ recipe! Fall is when I start making lots of vegan stews because they are heartening, nourishing and so easy to make. I have to say that summer is my favourite season, but there is so much beauty at this time of the year. I love walking amongst the beautiful fall leaves.

vital healt assessment

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15 thoughts on “Lentil Stew is Nutritious, Full of Superfoods and Is Tasty”

  1. Thank you for the Lentil soup receipe! I had a friend a few years ago who used to make it but we are
    unfortunately no longer in contact and I never wrote down her receipe.  Thank you so much!

  2. Patt, it starts with the water the lentils are cooked in then "adding more water if necessary"

    BTW I added above: cooked with water cooked in – Not sure if that was the right way to say it.

  3. Lentils, like all legumes benefit from a good soaking.  Give the soaking water to your plants and rinse well. Be on the look out for little stones when you are cooking lentils and beans. ; French green lentils are a great substitute and double in size and volume when you soak and sprout them for a few days.; Soaked and sprouted lentils are cooked in 10 to 15 minutes. I prefer making a double portion and store ( or freeze) the left overs in glass mason jars.; Great recipe, Diana

  4. I wanted to say that I was almost 2 years without a job. After 25 years of loyal dedication to my work place , I was kicked out because of the economics.
    I went down so flat with money that I had to restructure my entire daily food intake and Lentils became the no. 1 and most frequent food on our table simply because we could not afford something else and, the Lentils came into our budget and we all survived.
    Still after I recovered, my entire family continued consuming Lentils….we learned to cook them in many ways. I will always be grateful to this little legume for helping me out and maintaining my whole family in excellent health ! 🙂

  5. Lentils are a go-to food for athletes also!

    Did you know that you can saute onions/veggies in water? You can always add the oil for flavour at the end of the cooking cycle. The debate on fats and heat continues to rage and baffle. Animal fats , yes we are talking LARD apparently are the least damaged by high heat. I’ll have an avocado on a Hemp-flax-chia Carrot crisp for lunch. I know that these EFA’s will polish my arteries and keep my brain happy too.

  6. Good tip Afke, thank you!

    Marie, * Kombu is seaweed makes beans more digestible but you could easily leave it out. Thank you for your question because now I added a link above where you can read about Kombu.

  7. Janet, the lentils take longer to cook and if you follow the specific directions for cooking lentils it makes them much more digestible. Especially you do not want to put in the seaweed before they are soft as the salt in it will stop the lentils from becoming soft.

  8. Lisa Spotswood

    I grew up eating lentils & have never soaked them. Where do get green lentils? I have only used the brown & yellow.

  9. Hi there
    I really follow you on Twitter and like your articles very much. Your information and presentation is awesome. Also the choice of topics. Keep up the good work. Thanks

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