Moroccan lentil stew

Happy Meatless Monday to everyone!  If you haven’t heard about this wonderful craze that’s sweeping the nation, check it out here: MeatlessMonday.com

Personally, I think stews are a great compromise when trying to cook one meal for both vegetarians and omnivores. Homemade stews are usually hearty enough to satisfy meat eaters, yet versatile enough to substitute other plant-based proteins such as lentils or beans in place of any animal protein.

This vegetarian Moroccan Lentil Stew is really good. Lots of stuff in it to fill ya up! This is certainly one of those prep recipes though, since it took more than 30 minutes for me to cut up the squash, potatoes, onion, etc. and get everything in the pot. Still, since it’s a crockpot recipe, coming home to an already-cooked meal after a long day at work makes any amount of prep totally worth it.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

1 c. dried lentils, rinsed and sorted
1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
10 small red potatoes, cubed
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 (14 oz.) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
2 c. water
8 oz. package frozen cut green beans, thawed

Put everything except the green beans in the crockpot and simmer on low for 8-10 hours (or until all the veggies are tender). Then, switch the setting to high and toss in the green beans, stirring to combine with the rest of the stew. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until the beans and the entire stew is thoroughly heated. Enjoy!