{$5 Dinners - Rice and Beans Budget Board}
I discovered lentils when we lived in the Dominican Republic. I don’t think I’d eaten them ever in my life before moving down there. At first, I wasn’t too sure about them…as they way we cooked them while in the DR, they were still fairly bland. But I’ve since learned that if you give them enough flavor and mix in some delicious and fresh ingredients, lentils can come alive!
As they do in this lentil stew.
I adore the flavor combinations in this dish. The tomatoes with the red onion. And a hint of sweetness from the carrot sticks. The creaminess from the sour cream garnish, and the bite from the cilantro…seriously, the lentils come alive. Oh, and the crunch and salt from the pita chips. Lentil perfection.
You’ll have to try it and see.
(Also, feel free to add some heat with extra pepper or crushed red pepper. I kept it mild for my boys.)
Helpful Dried Beans Recipes
Lentil Stew with Pita Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bag Hurst Garlic and Herb Green Lentils
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 4 large carrot sticks, peeled and chopped
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- Juice from 2 small lemons (or 1 lemon for less lemon flavor)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Garnish - dollop sour cream, chopped cilantro
- Handful of pita chips for each serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or 6 qt Dutch oven, cook the lentils as directed on the bag.
- Once they have cooked for half the time indicated on the package, add the chopped onion, crushed garlic and chopped carrots. Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes and the juice from the lemons. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat and finish cooking the lentils.
- Season with ground cumin and cinnamon.
- When the lentils have cooked, remove from the heat to prevent the lentils from getting mushy.
- Serve Lentil Stew warm with dollop of sour cream and cilantro in each bowl, with a side of pita chips.
Jmyersbaby says
I love lentils. So this recipe excited me, but I must have done something wrong. The recipe calls for “juice of 2 lemons” but perhaps my lemons were too large and juicy because all I taste is lemon. Do you have any suggestions for a way to salvage my oh-so-lemony stew? :). It’s hot on the stove right now.
Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom says
Oh no…Maybe add more tomatoes to balance out the lemon flavor. My lemons must have been smaller! I’ll add a note into the post.
Erin
Julie says
You didn’t mention when to put in the olive oil, so I’m assuming I’ll throw it in with the carrots and onions. It smells delicious as it’s cooking!