Red Lentil Barley Stew
Published Feb. 23, 2024
- Total Time
- 1 ½ to 2 hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more for drizzling
- 2leeks, white and light green parts, sliced into half-moons, or 1 cup sliced onion
- 3carrots, diced
- 1cup chopped fennel, fronds reserved
- 1bunch cilantro, leaves and stems mostly separated and chopped (don’t worry too much about leaves and stems mingling)
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 1½teaspoons fine sea or table salt, more to taste
- 2tablespoons tomato paste
- 1tablespoon baharat or garam masala
- ½teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1cinnamon stick
- 2quarts vegetable or chicken broth
- 1cup pearled barley
- 1cup red lentils
- 1 to 2tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus lemon wedges for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
339 calories; 9 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 51 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 16 grams protein; 841 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
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Stir in carrots, fennel, cilantro stems, garlic and salt. Cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, baharat, turmeric and cinnamon stick, and cook until the tomato paste begins to caramelize, about 2 minutes.
- Step 3
Add the broth, barley and red lentils, and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until the barley and lentils are tender. (Add some water if the pot starts to look dry; this can be as thick or soupy as you like.)
- Step 4
Stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice and the chopped cilantro leaves. Taste stew and add salt and lemon juice if needed (you might need a lot more salt if you started with unsalted broth). Serve in bowls drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chopped fennel fronds.
Private Notes
Comments
This was crazy delicious. I made it according to the recipe, threw in two handfuls of spinach and yogurt at the end.
An alternative to the lemon juice at the end is sherry vinegar. I always add a couple tablespoons to earthy soups and stews, to brighten the flavor. Add it about five minutes before turning the heat off.
Just made this and wanted to encourage others to do so - very easy and delicious! I pretty much followed the recipe (though I always amp up the seasoning). Hearty and satisfying without being heavy. Another keeper from Melissa Clark!
Divine. Did half and half veg and chicken broth, added an extra carrot, added some torn spinach to bowls before serving, lime instead of lemon, farro instead of barley. The fennel and cilantro stems add so much depth to this. This is a rotation recipe. Just wonderful.
Simple, easy, and delicious, even without the alliums I eliminate due to dietary restrictions (I did use garlic powder). I sprinkled generously with ground cinnamon instead of using a stick. Also, I used TJ's 10-minute farro instead of barley because it's what I had, and it worked out fine. As another commenter noted, the cooking time is way less than an hour, and I added spinach. Both the red lentils and the farro were done in about 25 minutes. I'm freezing some for another rainy day.
This might be the most delicious recipe I’ve ever made from this app. Before adding the vegetables I sautéed and browned some pieces of flank steak. I took them out, cut them up, and proceeded with the recipe as instructed before adding them back at the end, with the lemon juice and cilantro. Epic.