A hearty, healthy vegetarian stew.
Cold nights are well on their way, which can only mean one thing: It’s officially the beginning of soup season. Bring on the hot soups, creamy chowders, and hearty stews like this Spinach and Lentil Sweet Potato Stew. Even if you don’t love the winter months, you have to admit there’s something comforting about curling up with a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly night. Let’s face it, the experience is just not the same in the summer. Those summer months are long, hard times for soup lovers like us!
Fortunately, soup season is back, and with it comes plenty of opportunities to warm up from the inside out. This Spinach and Lentil Sweet Potato Stew is a great recipe to add to the rotation this year. It’s a warm, hearty stew that also boasts an impressive nutritional profile. Loaded with fat-flushing veggies and protein-rich lentils, this tasty vegetarian stew is super comforting while still keeping you on-track with your weight-loss goals this winter.
Why We Love Lentils
There’s a lot of talk about lentils in the clean-eating world, and for good reason. They’re often featured in detox recipes, like the SkinnyMs. favorite “Flush the Fat Away” Lentil and Vegetable Soup. But what does it mean to say that lentils are a powerful detoxing agent?
Basically, it all comes down to digestion. Lentils boast high levels of protein and fiber, which are both key players in helping your body maintain peak digestive performance. When your body is working the way it should, you’ll feel lighter, more energized, and less bloated. You may also notice how your metabolism gets a boost, too.
Sweet potatoes and spinach (the other key players in this recipe) also aid in digestion and help your body reach top efficiency. Moreover, these hearty ingredients all come together to make a filling stew that also happens to be low calorie. This Spinach and Lentil Sweet Potato Stew has under 200 calories in a heaping two cup serving. It’s a light and healthy dinner that actually fills you up without adding a ton of extra calories onto the end of your day.
Warm, Rich Flavors
Along with plenty of nutritious veggies and lentils, this stew also packs an assortment of bold herbs and spices. Thyme and rosemary add classic flavor, while turmeric and curry contribute some unique spice to this warm and fragrant stew. Turmeric is another big name in the clean-eating circuit because it boasts powerful anti-inflammatory properties and is a strong antioxidant.
Hearty, healthy, filling, and low-calorie: This Spinach and Lentil Sweet Potato Stew has everything you could want in a winter soup recipe. Get ready to curl up with a hot bowl and enjoy!
Spinach and Lentil Sweet Potato Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced small
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 carrot peeled and diced small
- 1 celery stalk diced small
- 2 sweet potatoes small, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 cups brown lentils
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 30 ounces diced tomatoes cans
- 2 cups spinach fresh, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cook, for about 5 minutes, or just until the onions being to turn translucent. Add the sweet potatoes, thyme, rosemary, curry, salt, pepper, and red pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add all the remaining ingredients except for the spinach. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until both the potatoes and lentils are tender. Stir in the spinach just until wilted. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
Have you made this recipe?
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This recipe sounds good. But sautéing the garlic with both batches of veggies for that amount of time and no extra liquid will burn the garlic. Try adding the garlic in after the veggies are almost cooked?
Joan, The recipe calls for 1 T olive oil for the sauteing. Feel free to add a little water if needed.
Ars the lentils canned or dried?
Karen, The lentils are dry.
This recipe was delicious! Loved it! I think it should freeze well for future easy meals.
Glad you loved the recipe!