NOELLE’S LENTIL STEW
My own creation. A perfect meal for a chilly day. Its a cheap, easy and vegan recipe. It’s also extremely nutritious as it’s full of fibre and lots of lovely pulses for protein, so it will help with weight control. I use it as a part of my Non Diet methods for weight loss. And it’s yours here. 
Serves 3-4 people.
- 3 tblsp oil (ideally olive oil).
- 2 onions – finally chopped.
- 2 large carrots or 1 small parsnip – finely chopped.
- 1 celery stick – chopped.
- 1 clove garlic – crushed
- 1 tblsp plain flour.
- Bayleaf
- 6oz red lentils – washed.
- Tin tomatoes- chopped.
- Large blob tomato puree.
- 2 tbsp appx soya sauce
- 1.25 pints hot stock – might need more.
- Seasoning
Dumplings:
- 2oz plain flour.
- 2oz suet – I use veggie one.
- 1 tsp dried parsley.
- large pinch salt.
- ditto mixed spice.
- large pinch baking powder.
- cold water to mix
Method
In a large heavy ovenproof pan, soften the onion and celery for a few mins.
Add the crushed garlic and chopped root veg. Mix and continue cooking until soft.
Add flour and stir to cook 1 min.
Add tinned toms & bayleaf. Stir and heat gently.
Add lentils, stir to separate. Then add puree, soya sauce and about half the stock.
Cook gently on the hob, covered, and stir so it doesn’t stick. The lentils will thicken as they cook around 20mins. Add more of the stock as you go. until it looks like a lovely thick stew.
Add the soya sauce, and seasoning to taste.
Put the stew, covered, in the oven 180C for 20 mins. Then check it again, stirring and adjust stock if its got too thick.
Mix water slowly into dumplings mix. It needs to be thick and a bit sticky. Then blob into 4 piles on the top.
Return stew to the oven. Cook another 30 mins, until its all bubbling.
Good with jacket or boiled potatoes and green veg.
(sorry its all imperial measure … I’ve been making this for 3 decades!)
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