Curry Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew

A Protein-Packed Curry Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew

I hope everyone had a fun New Year’s Eve! Aaron and I joined a group of friends for dinner at a restaurant in DC on NYE and stayed there to ring in the new year. It was great to be out with friends but still have a somewhat low key celebration! What did you do on NYE?

After putting together the Lentil Soup Jars before the holidays, I was inspired to make a lentil stew to warm up in this cold weather. I love lentils- they are cheap and super nutritious. Just half a cup of cooked lentils has 13 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. While I am not a vegetarian, this is a hearty and delicious meal that both vegetarians and non-vegetarians will love.

Here are all of the ingredients (minus garlic; I don’t know how I left that out of the picture!). I had one last remaining butternut squash from my CSA, so I added that in, too!

I started off by sauteing the butternut squash, onion, carrots, and celery. I love all these colors together.

After a few minutes, I tossed in the garlic and ginger. Once the vegetables were softened, I added in the remaining ingredients and spices, except for the spinach and lemon, and let it simmer until the lentils were fully cooked. I then mixed in the spinach until it wilted down and then added a squeeze of lemon to each bowl after serving. I served up the stew over quinoa (told you this dish was full of protein!) in these beautiful bowls that we bought from a local artist in Asheville this past fall. Each bowl is made by hand and no two bowls are the same. I love them!

The stew is hearty and light, filling but not heavy. Perfect for cold winter nights!

With a winter storm and cold temps hitting the northeast today, I’d say this is a perfect dish to keep you warm tonight 

Curry Lentil and Butternut Squash Stew
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
1 cup of carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of ginger, grated
1 cup of red lentils
1 tbsp curry
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
4 cups broth
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
1 -6oz bag fresh spinach
1 lemon, quartered

Directions:
1. Add oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add butternut squash, onion, carrots, and celery. After 2-3 minutes, add garlic and ginger.
2. Once the vegetables are softened, add lentils, spices, and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer covered for 35-40 minutes, until lentils are cooked but tender. Add spinach and wilt down.
3. Serve in bowls alone or over quinoa or rice. Top with the juice of 1 lemon quarter and serve immediately. Enjoy!