Quick & Easy Warming Tomato and Lentil Stew (Vegan)
This warming tomato and lentil stew is nourishing, aromatic, and incredibly simple. French lentils are cooked in a comforting tomato broth until tender and plump. A base of onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme offers an earthy, savory vibe that tames the acidity of the tomatoes and unites the flavors as one. This stew comes together with just 40-ish minutes of time and a modest amount of stirring. Protein-packed lentils make it an incredibly satisfying dish, and you can bump the comfort up another notch by serving it over brown rice or alongside a warm baguette.
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 cup uncooked french green lentils, thoroughly rinsed and picked through
- 1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes or until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, dried rosemary, sea salt, and red pepper flakes, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until the garlic softens, stirring frequently.
- Add the french lentils, crushed tomatoes, filtered water, tamari, and balsamic. Stir to combine and nestle the sprigs of thyme into the liquid. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a rapid boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- Carefully remove the thyme sprigs. Taste and season with more sea salt, if desired. I typically don't add any additional salt; however, feel free to season as you wish.