Spicy Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew With Chipotles
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1medium onion, chopped
- 2garlic cloves, minced
- Salt to taste
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
- 2medium carrots, diced
- 1½cups brown or green lentils, rinsed
- 6cups water
- 2medium-size sweet potatoes (aka yams, with dark orange flesh, 1 to 1¼ pounds), peeled and cut in large dice
- 1 to 2chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped (to taste)
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 1bay leaf
- ¼cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (to taste)
- Lime wedges for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
163 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 616 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the ground cumin seeds and carrots. Stir together for a minute, then add the lentils, water, sweet potatoes, chipotles, tomato paste, salt to taste and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender and the broth fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the cilantro or parsley, simmer for another minute, and serve, passing lime wedges so diners can season their lentils with a squeeze of lime juice if desired.
- Advance preparation: This will be good for 3 or 4 four days but it will thicken as the lentils will continue to swell. If you want to thin it out, add water or stock.
Private Notes
Comments
Very fragrant dish while under preparation. I used vegetable broth instead of water and steamed the carrots before adding them at the very end, hoping their texture would compliment the softer sweet potatoes - it worked! Delicious, too.
Two peppers added just the right amount of heat according to my husband and son. I used a colorful lentil medley and a couple splashes of plum vinegar at the end to brighten up the dish, which made it perfect.
I found this unbalanced. It sorely needed an umami component for richness and mouthfeel. Although it would make it non-vegetarian, the addition of some pork shoulder would help, as would replacing the water with chicken stock. Or maybe just some cheese, like chèvre.
I also found 4 cups of liquid sufficient and resulted in more of a stew rather than a soup.
Like others, I found this rather bland - even with stock and chopped bacon. I had everything on hand, so it was a fine and hearty weeknight stew, but I don’t think I will be making it again.
i replaced the chipotle with 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika + ¼ teaspoon cayenne + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar + ½ teaspoon brown sugar. rly nice
I made this tonight and it was very good! I did not have chipotles in adobo, and have kids sensitive to spice, so I omitted those and added some chilli powder, cumin and cinnamon after the onion & garlic and let them toast a minute. I also added the tomato paste at this point to give it some colour. The results were very flavourful and the recipe was plentiful!