Another traditional recipe this week!

This stew reminds me of my childhood. My mom used to make it every other week for lunch on Wednesdays. Because on Wednesdays school finished early and we used to have lunch at home.

When it wasn’t this stew, it was spaghetti bolognese on the menu. It was pretty cool because as soon as the week would start, my brothers and I would already be looking forward to Wednesday cause we knew we’d have a nice lunch.

I miss these good old days, when I’d finish school and come home to a delicious and already-prepared lunch. Well, things are not that different today, except I am the one who cooks now and do the dishes. Oh, adult life.

So, this lentil stew! It’s unbelievably simple and tasty. It’s healthy, vegan, super easy to prepare and full of earthy flavours.

It’s been raining all day in London today and this stew is the perfect comfort meal I needed! Happy Thursday!

Vegetarian Lentil Stew

INGREDIENTS

400g dry green lentils (2 cups)
2 onions thinly sliced
4 tablespoons olive oil (1/4 cup)
600ml water (3 cups)
2 medium sized tomatoes, grated
2 teaspoons salt or more to taste
1 ½ teaspoon ground paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Generous pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Chopped coriander and lemon wedges for garnish (optional)

METHOD

• Place all the ingredients in a large deep skillet or casserole (except the garnish).

• Make sure the water covers the lentils. If not, add an extra cup or just enough water to cover the lentils.

• Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.

• Leave to simmer gently until the lentils are cooked. About 35 to 40 minutes.

• Serve warm or cold with crusty bread.

• Garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Notes

• Depending on the type of lentils you will be using, you might have to add some water if all the liquids evaporate before the lentils are cooked. Keep an eye on the lentils while they are cooking.