Cozy Pantry Stew

Ingredients

• olive oil, avocado oil, or other cooking oil of choice
• 1 large yellow onion, 3 shallots, or 2-3 leeks - diced or sliced
• 2-3 stalks celery - sliced
• 2 carrots - sliced into half-moons
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• pinch of red pepper flakes - to taste
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric, or other spice of choice like coriander, cumin, etc.
• 1 teaspoon dried herbs of choice and/or dried/fresh ginger (all optional)
• 4 cloves of garlic - minced
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 cup split red lentils
• 1/4 cup white rice (optional)
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes or about 1 large regular tomato - halved, quartered, or cubed for regular tomato
• 1 medium sweet potato, regular potato, or winter squash - finely cubed (optional)
• 6-8 cups of water
• spinach or other tender greens - to taste
• juice from 1 lemon

Instructions

1. 1

   Warm a good pour of oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion/shallot/leeks, celery, carrots, a pinch of salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, turmeric/other spices, and dried herbs/ginger, if using. Sauté over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine, bring it up to a simmer, and let reduce almost completely for 8-10 minutes.

2. 2

   Add the lentils, rice, tomatoes, and potato/squash, if using, along with another pinch of salt and stir to incorporate. Add the water and more salt, cover, and bring up to a simmer. The amount of water you'll need will depend on whether you used rice and potato. Add a full 8 cups if using both, and start with about 6 cups if using neither. Simmer the stew for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils, rice, and potato are soft. Check the liquid level periodically and add more water if the stew becomes too thick.

3. 3

   Once the soup is done, turn off the heat and taste for salt and pepper, adjusting if needed. Wilt in the spinach, as much as you like. Stir in the lemon juice. Serve hot, garnished with any preferred garnishes: herbs, yogurt, pesto, or pan-fried mushrooms as pictured. Enjoy!