Spicy Lentil Stew

Leaping lentils! This dish is fantastic. I stumbled across the original recipe in a copy of Fine Cooking: Comfort Food and had so much fun making this dinner that I just kept adding more and more. My large stockpot is now overflowing with food, and for once I feel confident saying that my husband and I will both have leftovers for lunch and even a second dinner later this week. The recipe I'll post below is probably closer to 8 servings than the 12 that are on the stove right now. Keep in mind, this recipe is very flexible and you can always add more vegetables or seasonings to suit your tastes. I encourage you to sample as you cook!

Spicy Lentil Stew

Ingredients:

- olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 1 heaping teaspoon of curry powder
- 1 heaping teaspoon of garam masala 
- 3+ stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 bag of shredded carrots
- 2 cans of diced tomatoes
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 bag of lentils (any color)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 to 2 lbs of chicken thighs, sliced in 1-2" pieces (optional)
- several splashes of lemon juice
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 box of plain couscous

Directions:

1. In a large stockpot, saute 2 yellow onions in a generous amount of olive oil. When onions are translucent, add in curry powder and garam masala. Stir until onions are evenly coated.

2. Add ingredients celery through cayenne pepper, mix well, and bring to a rolling boil. Check back in every few minutes to stir.

3. Once soup is boiling add chicken if desired, and cook about 30-45 minutes until vegetables and chicken are fully cooked.

4. Add pepper and lemon juice towards the end and stir in half a box of couscous. Be sure to sample your stew and add more spices if needed!