Lentil Stew...LOVE!

We have been trying new vegetarian and vegan recipes lately and I must say, everything (minus imitation cheese) has been fantastic. Tonight I made Lentil Stew and we can't stop talking about how yummy it was. The recipe is from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. It does take some time to cut all of the veggies up but it was totally worth it.

We had some toasted Sourdough bread with ours and it was perfect.  You should make it. Seriously.

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large onions, cut into chunks
2 celery stalks, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 potato, cut into chunks
1/4 cup shoyu (this is basically soy sauce)
5 cups vegetable broth
3 tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups brown lentils (I used green lentils)

Combine the garlic powder, paprika, salt, cumin, oregano, and basil in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a large soup pot (you'll be adding a lot of liquid late, so make sure it's big enough) over medium-high heat, and add the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potato. Stir in half the seasoning mixture and the shoyu. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes or until the onions are tender.

Add 5 cups of water, the broth, tomatoes, and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid askew for 30 minutes. Add the remaining seasoning mixture, and cook for 20 minutes longer or until the lentils are soft.