I love lentil stew. It’s a staple in my home. It can be made vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Both ways taste great and can be a side dish or a main dish. This recipe is the full blow main dish non-vegetarian stew. I’ll tell you how to make it vegearian in the notes!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups dried lentils
1 lb bone-in Chicken Thighs with Skin
1 medium onion
2 large stalks carrots
3 stalks celery
1 15oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 cups chicken bone broth
2 cups beef bone broth
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions
- Chop the onion and slice the carros and celery.
- Put all the ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 6 hours.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard.
- Remove the chicken thighs. Remove the bones and skin. Shred with two forks, then return the meat to the pot.
Notes
You can easily convert this to a vegetarian dish by not using the chcken thighs and using vegetable broth instead of bone broth. I tend to add more spices when I go vegetarian.
If you are going non-vegetarian, but don’t want to add meat, simply use the bone broth. You can mix chicken and beef or simply use one or the other. Sometimes I’ll use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs then add 6 cups of chicken bone broth.
If you want to make this stew in a dutch oven, you can. Begin by sauteeing the carrots, onions, and celery in 2 tablespoons olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic for a minute. Then add all the other ingredient. Bring to a boil, the lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer covered for about 30 to 40 minutes until the chicken is done and lentils are soft.
I normally use brown or green lentils. But as you know lentils come in many colors. Sometimes I’ll mix 1 cup green with 1/2 cup red just for fun; however, add the red lentils a bit later since they cook faster. If you want a more earthy flavor, mix in 1/2 cup of black lentils.
How to serve lentil stew? I go straight for the main course– a nice, hearty bowl full with a side of humus and my favorite veggie to dip. It also pairs nicely with a sandwich or a mac & cheese. Grilled panini with mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, and basil sandwich? Yummy!