Lentil Stew

I've been trying to expand my repertoire of soups to include more than chili and potato soup. I've found some winners with Chicken & Rice Soup and Cheeseburger Soup. But with spring coming (finally, YAY!) I wanted to get in one more soup recipe. Well, this is actually a stew.

And it is yummy! It can be vegetarian if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken. The beans and lentils provide plenty of fiber and protein, making this a cheap, lowfat dish.

Here's what you'll need:

1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
2 cups water
3/4 cup lentils
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
salt and pepper

In a saucepan, saute the onions and carrots in olive oil until tender.


Add the chili powder, garlic, oregano and cumin. Cook for a couple of more minutes.



Stir in the broth, lentils and potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Add the tomatoes and beans. Reduce heat and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.



I turned the heat to low and let this sit on the stove for an hour or so. It thickened up quite a bit. The next day we had leftovers and I had to add a little water to it because of the thickness.

Charles said this reminded him of chili because of the tomatoes and chili powder. I thought it was a little spicy but the leftovers had mellowed a bit, more to my liking. I know, I'm a wimp! Overall, a great, hearty, nutritious soup!