Spinach Lentil Stew # vegetarian

This is a quick dish I made for a lunch one day that I'd been meaning to post.  I rely on my blog to look up some recipes instead of pouring through my hand written recipes stashed in a big notebook. This is hearty, full of protein from the lentils and fast if you use canned instead of dried.

Here is the photo - lentils with spinach, tomatoes and carrots over rice made a great hot lunch.  Served with warm naan and makes good leftovers.

I have the recipe listed below but admit to not using dried beans.  For a shortcut version I opened two cans of lentils and used vegetable broth rather than bouillon cubes. Those have way too much salt in my opinion.

Spinach Lentil Stew

from Taste of Home magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups water

1 cup lentils, rinsed

4 teaspoons vegetable or chicken bouillon granules

3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1 cup chopped carrots

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions

 In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the water, lentils, bouillon, Worcestershire sauce, salt, thyme, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the carrots, tomatoes and spinach; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes longer or until lentils are tender. Stir in vinegar. Discard bay leaf.

Linking with Marg at The Intrepid Reader for Weekend Cooking