Kelly the Culinarian: Cooking with Kelly: Brown Rice and Lentil Stew Recipe

Saturday, March 7, 2015

Cooking with Kelly: Brown Rice and Lentil Stew Recipe

Admittedly, this isn't the prettiest meal. Hang in there, the flavor rocks even if the look doesn't.
Soup's on! One of the staples of my new meal-planning strategy is large-batch soups, stews and crock pot meals. The reason I make a ton of food for myself is that I can freeze half, then portion out the rest for no-brainer lunches. I'm stocking my freezer without a lot of forethought, and then I also have grab and go lunches that are cheaper than the work cafeteria, faster than going out and healthier than anything I could pick up during my commute to work.

This soup is really simple, but very satisfying. I blended about half of the soup in my Vitamix to add a creamy texture to the soup without adding calories or crap. Like most soups, this was better on subsequent days as the flavors continues to meld.

I topped my soup with cilantro as I'm on a bit of a health kick, but tortilla chips, cornbread, sour cream or fritos would all be good choices. A spritz of lemon juice would also be awesome to brighten this up.

Also, I opted to use water and a chicken stock base, which you can swap out for chicken stock. Sub veggie stock for a vegan version.

Brown Rice and Lentil Stew Recipe

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lentils
8 cups water
2 Tablespoons chicken base
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt, sriracha, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Topping options: cilantro, avocado, onion, green onion, tortilla chips, sour cream, etc

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, then add the carrots, celery, onion and green pepper. Cook on medium until fragrant and color develops, about five minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about two minutes.

Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 50 minutes. Using an immersion blender or carefully using a standard blender, blend some of the soup until your desired consistency is achieved. Top with your favorite accouterments and enjoy.

2 comments:

Dawn620 said...

Just made some smoked turkey stock. Can't wait to try you recipe with it!

Zenaida Arroyo said...

Looks yummy!