lentil stew

i visited lizzy in washington dc over the weekend. washington is beautiful and the weather was warm and sunny, but the george washington university dorms are very airconditioned and so we were able to make a warm, filling lentil stew without it feeling too heavy for summer. although we intended this to be more of a soup, it turned into a very thick, hearty stew. conveniently, this is vegan unless you feel like throwing in a splash of cream or caramelizing your onions in butter beforehand (both of which would be delicious).

lentil stew
makes about 4 main course servings

• 4 cups vegetable stock or broth (or water and bouillon cubes)
• 1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over for debris and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 a large sweet potato (other potatoes work fine), diced (try to keep your pieces fairly uniform so they cook at the same pace)
• 2 carrots, cut into half moons
• 2 cups spinach, fresh or frozen
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/3 cup red wine
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt & pepper to taste

begin heating your stock or bouillon water in a large, heavy pot. add lentils, onion, potato, carrots, celery, bay leaves and cumin. cook over medium heat (liquid should be simmering but not boiling) until lentils and potatoes are soft but not mushy, stirring occasionally, about 25-40 minutes.

add spinach, red wine, basil, garlic, and salt and pepper, stirring well. taste and adjust for seasonings, adding more water, stock or wine if you'd like more liquid or your pot needs deglazing. cook 2-3 minutes more, remove bay leaves and serve hot.