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Deep Green Lentil Stew with Spinach, Tahini & Lemon

5 from 28 reader reviews
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 -6
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Ingredients

GREMOLATA GARNISH:

  • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated with a Microplane

SOUP:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for serving
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 stick celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 4 cups vegetable stock, plus extra to thin if necessary
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • ½ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
  • ¼ cup tahini (I like Soom brand)
  • juice of ½ a lemon, plus extra for serving
  • 2 teaspoons Tamari
  • chili flakes/Aleppo chili, optional

Instructions

  • Make gremolata: In a small bowl, combine the parsley, lemon zest and garlic, Stir to mix and set aside.
  • Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil to the pot. Add the onions and celery to the pot. Saute the onions and celery until very soft and slightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper to the pot and stir. Keep cooking the vegetables and spices for another minute.
  • Add the potatoes and lentils to the pot and stir. Season again with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer stew with the lid on for 25 minutes, or until the lentils and potatoes are both tender.
  • Add the spinach, parsley, and basil to the pot. Stir until the spinach just starts to wilt, about 30 seconds. Then, carefully ladle half of the stew into an upright, vented blender. Add the tahini to the stew in the blender. Close the lid on the blender and slowly bring up the speed to high. Blend until stew is totally smooth. If you have to add a bit of water to get it moving, definitely do so.
  • Scrape the blended stew back into the pot and bring the now unified stew up to a boil. Squeeze in the lemon juice, add the tamari, stir, and then taste the stew. Add more stock (or water) at this point if it seems too thick. Adjust salt and pepper if necessary. I find that this stew needs quite a bit of salt. Serve the deep green lentil stew hot with the gremolata on top, swoops of olive oil, the chili flakes, extra lemon, and extra chopped herbs.

Equipment

  • Blender

Recipe Notes

  • The stew has a rich creaminess once it’s all blended up, so I love to top it with a sharp gremolata, which is a simple mix of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
  • This stew needs aggressive seasoning to come alive -- don't be shy with the salt, lemon juice, and chili flakes. Taste before serving and adjust. If it tastes flat, it almost certainly needs more salt or lemon rather than more time on the stove.
  • The tahini amount in this recipe is modest in my opinion! But if you're new to cooking with tahini or sensitive to its flavor, start with 2 tablespoons rather than the full quarter cup and taste before adding more. It should add creaminess and depth in the background without being the dominant flavor.
  • No tahini? You can leave it out entirely and the stew will still be thick and creamy from the blended potatoes and lentils.
  • Red or yellow lentils will work here but will cook faster and break down completely, making the stew creamier and removing the chew of whole lentils. The color will also shift from bright green to more of a brown-green.
A vivid vegan green lentil stew with potatoes, spinach, tahini & lemon. Fnished in the blender for a creamy, deeply green result. Topped with a sharp parsley,lemon and garlic gremolata.