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Deep Green Lentil Stew with Spinach, Tahini & Lemon

5 from 25 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4
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Ingredients

GREMOLATA GARNISH:

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

SOUP:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for serving
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 stick of celery, chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb 454 grams yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 4 cups 1 L vegetable stock, plus extra to thin if necessary
  • 3 cups baby spinach
  • ½ cup packed flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra for serving
  • ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus extra for serving
  • ¼ cup tahini
  • Juice of ½ a lemon, plus extra for serving
  • 1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari soy sauce
  • 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

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.
  • I find that this stew benefits from quite a bit of salt when you’re seasoning. I also love quite a bit of lemon juice and chili flakes on top when I serve it--they brighten everything up.
Deep green lentil stew with spinach, tahini, and lemon is a comforting vegan dinner with a flavor balance of herbs, citrus, and spice.