Once cold weather arrives, soups and stews are on my weekly menu. I was looking through some old recipes and found this delicious vegetarian stew, seasoned with cumin, coriander and garlic. It will definitely be added to my winter line-up. This stew is thick and rich, full of warm, fragrant spices with a heartiness that can stand up to a traditional beef stew.
Moroccan Lentil Stew
Ingredients
1 cup brown or green lentils, washed
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1/2 pound (about 2 medium) leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon coriander seed, crushed or ground
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed or ground
Pinch of cayenne pepper
16 ounce can of whole tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3-4 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cook lentils and bay leaf according to package directions but half way through cooking (about 15 minutes), add celery, carrots, leeks, zucchini, raisins, coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Cook for another 15 minutes or until lentils and veggies are tender. Add tomatoes. In a saute pan, add olive oil and saute onions until golden brown. Add the garlic to onions and cook for a few minutes. Stir onion and garlic, parsley or cilantro, lemon zest into the lentils. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with lemon wedges.
Judymatusky.com