Chicken & Lentil Stew
They say that you eat with your eyes first and mostly I agree with that sentiment. There’s a reason that our mouth starts to water at the mere sight of our favorite meal piled high on a plate. Our bodies are readying the digestive system for the task ahead! I believe it’s about more than just what the food looks like though. Take this stew for example. It’s a bowl of brown liquid with some floating chunks in it. Not very appealing in the traditional sense of attractiveness, however we know that a warm bowl of soup is savory, comforting, grounding, and satisfying especially with a flaky biscuit dipped in. The saying is, don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but I think we shouldn’t judge a stew by its appearance alone either!
Makes 8 servings
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1-2 teaspoon salt, to taste
zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1 cup lentils (french lentils or brown lentils work well, or this spouted lentil mix)
1 rotisserie chicken, meat shredded
4-6 cups bone broth (I use chicken broth)
2 or 3 handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Directions:
In a large pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Let it cook and give it a good stir every few minutes. When they are nice and soft and fragrant, add the salt, lemon zest, and paprika. Stir through. Add the bay leaves, lentils, and shredded chicken. Top with the chicken broth. You want it to be plenty to cover the ingredients by about an inch. The lentils will soak up the broth as they cook. Give it a good stir and bring to a simmer. Place the lid on top and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. When they are cooked, add the chopped spinach, lemon juice, and red wine vinegar and stir through. Taste for seasoning and adjust it to your liking. Serve it up and enjoy! The leftovers are even better :)
