The Best Lentil Stew I Ever Made

Guys, this is it. This is the most delicious lentil stew I've ever made.

And if it's lentil stew season, then it can only mean one thing - John's away on business.

Took this one with my phone because I was too hungry to go get the real camera.
It looked better in person.

Whenever he goes away, I cook things like quiche or lentils, or as he charmingly refers to them, "chick food." So Julia and I enjoyed our feminine fare and happily loaded up Netflix with documentaries.

And my brother came over for dinner one night, too. He did not feel that our meal was feminine. Anyway, he made me laugh until I cried, and Julia got some much-needed quality time with her uncle. For dessert, I made up some Pumpkin Banana Ice Cream. It's dairy- and sugar-free and completely delicious. (recipe coming)

This was the first time I ever just threw ingredients in the pot without much thought. I usually consult a bunch of other recipes first, if for nothing else than for the ratio of liquids to solids. But this time I just rolled with it. The tomatoes were a pleasant surprise and added a lot of flavor to this dish. And as for the six bay leaves, well, why not?

As fun as the lentils and the miniseries on John Adams were, Julia and I are very much looking forward to John's return in a few days. We really miss dada.

Extremely Delicious Lentil Stew

If you'd like to add some sausage, you've got options here. I went with lightly seasoned pork sausages, but I wasn't sure how they'd go with the stew, so I just baked them whole and served them on top. That worked out really well. You could also slice them up raw and toss them in the pot along with the vegetables. Spicy ones might not pair well with this stew, but you're welcome to try it.

2-3 shallots, chopped
1 large turnip, peeled and chopped
lots of carrots, chopped
1 Russet potato, scrubbed and chopped
28oz can crushed tomatoes
6 cups broth (I like chicken)
1/2 cup white wine
large dashes of: black pepper, salt, and garlic powder
6 bay leaves (yeah, six)
2 cups lentils (I went brown)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
optional: sausages

In a Dutch oven, saute all the veg together in olive oil until softened. Add in everything else and bring up to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover partially to allow for a slow evaporation. Check on it periodically, and let it simmer for a couple hours. I let mine go for two and it was perfect. Stir in the vinegar before serving.