Make-Ahead Red Lentil, Carrot and Spinach Stew

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A thick, smoky red lentil stew built for the freezer: lentils, carrots and tomatoes hold their texture through freezing and reheating, with no cream or pasta to split or go watery. One pot, pantry ingredients, and six portions banked for the nights you have nothing left in you. Stir in spinach and lemon at the end so it tastes fresh, not reheated.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 cups dried red lentils, rinsed
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 5 oz baby spinach
• 1 whole lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent.
2. Add the garlic, cumin and smoked paprika and stir constantly for 1 minute, until fragrant and the spices coat the vegetables.
3. Stir in the red lentils, crushed tomatoes, broth and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Simmer uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the lentils have broken down and the stew is thick enough to hold a line when you drag a spoon through it. Add carrots-tender check: they should be soft but not mushy.
5. Turn off the heat. Stir in the baby spinach in two handfuls and let the residual heat wilt it, about 2 minutes, then stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add salt as needed.
6. To freeze: cool the stew uncovered for 30 minutes, then refrigerate until completely cold (about 2 hours). Divide into freezer containers or zip-top bags in 1 1/2-cup portions, leaving 1 inch of headspace, press flat, label and freeze up to 3 months.
7. To reheat: thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm in a saucepan over medium-low with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water or broth per portion, stirring, for 6 to 8 minutes until steaming. From frozen, microwave covered on high for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes and adding a splash of water to loosen; finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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