One of my favorite cooking methods is by slow cooker, and one of my favorite soups/stews happens to be lentil. I stumbled across this recipe years ago, made it, and loved it so much I made it for a faculty pitch-in. Very easy to put together; and, because it's done in a slow cooker, just throw everything in the pot, set and forget for 5 to 9 hours. I like it served with brown rice, crusty whole grain bread, and a simple salad on the side.
This recipe calls for ham, but please omit it if your diet forbids the consumption of animal products. Substitute veggie broth for the chicken.
Ingredients:
1 cup diced ham
2 cups dried lentils
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups thinly sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cups water
2 (14-ounce) cans fat-free chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (16-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach, not thawed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
In a 4-quart or larger slow cooker, combine ham, lentils, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, water, broth, oregano and pepper. Cook on high 4 to 5 hours or on low 7 to 9 hours or until lentils are tender. Stir in spinach; cover and cook 10 minutes on high or until tender. Thin with more water if necessary. Stir in lemon juice.
Makes about 6 cups finished product.