Lentil Stew With Pumpkin or Sweet Potatoes
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves six
- ½pound (1 heaped cup) lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 6cups water, vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 1medium onion, cut in half
- 2garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 1bay leaf
- Pinch of saffron
- ½teaspoon turmeric
- 20sprigs cilantro, tied into a bunch
- Salt
- 1teaspoon ground ginger
- 2medium or 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- ½pound winter squash (such as pumpkin or butternut squash) or sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 3tablespoons tomato paste
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 to 3tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
178 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 871 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Combine the lentils, water or stock, onion, garlic cloves and bay leaf in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil. Rub the saffron between your fingers and add to the pot, along with the turmeric and the cilantro. Reduce the heat, add salt to taste, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
- Step 2
Remove the onion and garlic cloves from the pot, and add the remaining ingredients except the parsley. Bring back to a simmer, cover and simmer 30 minutes or until the lentils and vegetables are tender. Discard the cilantro bundle, taste and adjust seasonings. Just before serving, stir in the parsley.
Tip
- Advance preparation: This will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator. When you reheat it, you may need to add some water. Adjust seasonings accordingly.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mark
Perfect weeknight recipe--minimal prep and cooks largely unattended. I was looking for something healthy and easy, and expected to like it OK. But the flavors were surprisingly complex and it really won me over. Really nice with a cucumber/yogurt salad on the side.
Tracey
I like some spice and I don't like a strong tomato flavor, so I used 2 TBSP tomato paste and 1 TBSP harissa. It added a bit of warmth and brightness, would definitely do the same again.
jon
Was worried from some of the comments that this was going to lack flavor, however it’s exquisite. I used 2 carrots, 1 sweet potato and a tiny butternut squash. Leave the onion and garlic in for sure. I substituted 1 of the teaspoons of tomato paste with Harissa and added a teaspoon of cumin. Added zest of 1 lemon with five minutes remaining and stirred in the juice when it finished cooking. Balances sweetness of the veg. So good.
Chris
This is a really easy and delicious recipe! Last time I made it, I made a DOUBLE batch and changed the flavor profile by adding 3 chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, and some dried oregano.
Michelle K.
Really quite delicious. I topped it with some feta cheese and a splash of lemon juice to brighten it.
Kelley
I liked this but thought it was a little lacking in flavor so added a dollop of Harissa paste and that kicked it up a notch. Not sure why it says to remove the onions and garlic, I think it would be better with them. Next time I'll dice the onions instead of adding the halves.
kath
Put cilantro in cheesecloth. About 2-3 tsp salt
Sarah
This...is a fabulous recipe. Hearty, healthy, and really not difficult to make.
Katherine
Perfectly good stew. However, when I cook these recipes, I usually at least double/triple the spices. Never been sorry.
Mary J
Didn’t remove anything! Chopped an onion and a half and sautéd in two tablespoons of olive oil first. The cilantro completely broke apart and pretty much dissolved which was fine. I more or less doubled all the spices and added two teaspoons of cumin which it needed. I also added a parsnip and will next add celery. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite but I would try it again.
Phood
Fast, healthy and easy, but dull. It's just lentil soup with squash. I like lentil soup well enough, but I had hoped for something with more interesting flavors.
Deb
Ugh, this soup was bland, not at all what I would have expected given the complex flavors. Probably wouldn't make again,
Caleb
Not whole lot to add. This is so good.
Marilou
Added some chipotles and left the garlic, garlic onion and shallot in. Delicious.
Larry
Thanks to other comments, I added in harissa and lemon at the end. Perfectly edible but definitely more subtle than I want in a main course. Next time maybe some finely sliced scallions on top? Something to add more brightness and punch. Fresh ginger in with sweet potatoes? And thanks to another comment I threw together a hasty cucumber yogurt salad for side. This is essential if you’re looking for texture and balance. And shower everything with loads of cilantro when serving.
Kfrenyoyo
Add salt! Sour cream was also a good topping. Solid recipe.
Lisa G
I made this just as directed and, while the subtle flavors were wonderful, it was just too bland. The advice of putting in chipotles and cumin was great. The only drawback is that the subtle flavors got overwhelmed. Oh well.
Blaine Snow
Don’t understand how you would *remove* the onions and garlic AFTER they’ve been cooked with the lentils and stock for 30min. Pick them out one by one if you can even find them? What am I missing here? Why would you want to remove them in the first place?
12/2/23
Left onions and Added about a pound of
12/2/23: literally perfect
*Forgot celery - add it next time* *Chop up onion and garlic, keep it in the pot.* - Only did this because I got this one mixed up with another soup recipe. But I bet it was better because of it. *Replaced saffron with extra fennel* - Remember saffron next time *Added ~1.3 lbs of beef stew meat*
joanne
Add another garlic clove, celery, harissa?, cumin? Could dice the onion and leave it in.
Hailey
Super easy, yummy and flavorful! I just chopped the onion, garlic and cilantro and left it in there. I sautéed the onion and garlic for a bit before adding everything else to soften it. Used precut butternut squash wedges from TJ’s!
Judy H-M
My new favorite lentil soup recipe!
Rebecca
Added cumin, 1 chili pepper., and 1 additional garlic. Good, hearty stew. Nice way to use pumpkin .
cmgc
that little pinch of saffron was magical! The rest of the spicing was delicious, too, but the safrom was magical. Loved this soup.
Erde
We left the onion and garlic to cook until the end. We also used coriander instead of fresh cilantro. We used less turmeric and tomato paste than called for. You can’t beat lentils and butternut squash. Simply delicious!
Suzanne
Oven roast veggies before adding to the pot
Dot
Why would anyone EVER throw away cilantro? No! Include it chopped up or just leave it out and enjoy it elsewhere.
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