Weeknight · All year
Lentil and Herb Stew
A pot that stretches, welcomes a guest, and costs less than the bread you serve beside it.
55 minutes · Serves 6 · 6 bowls
“Be hospitable to one another without complaining.”
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or from a jar
- 6 cups broth or water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or a few fresh sprigs
- 1 ½ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
Method
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic for one minute more.
- 2
Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, broth, bay, thyme, and salt. Bring to a simmer.
- 3
Cook uncovered at a gentle bubble until the lentils are tender but not mush, 30 to 40 minutes. Add a splash of water if the stew climbs the spoon too thickly. It should be spoonable, not a paste.
- 4
Pull the bay leaves. Stir in the vinegar. Taste for salt. The vinegar is small and important. It wakes the pot up.
- 5
Ladle into warm bowls. A thread of olive oil and a piece of bread make it company food.
From the kitchen
- The stew is better the next day. Make it when you know Wednesday will be loud.
- Red lentils will collapse into a thicker soup in about 20 minutes. Use them if that is what you have, and skip the long simmer.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
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