Creamy Lentil Stew Recipes

Steps:

• Melt butter in a small pot or large saucepan over medium heat. When foam subsides, add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are beginning to soften but not developing any color, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, thyme, spices, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add tomatoes, lentils, and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender and creamy, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove and discard thyme. Transfer about one-third of soup to a blender; purée until smooth. (Be careful blending the hot liquid: Remove feed cap from blender lid and cover with a kitchen towel to let steam escape; or pulse several times with an immersion blender directly in pot to partially purée.) Stir purée back into pot, with coconut milk and lemon juice. Serve with any combination of serving suggestions.

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, water, onion, half the garlic, and bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs, remove onion and bouquet garni.
• Meanwhile, make tomato sauce in a separate pan. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. When it smells fragrant but before it browns, after about 30 seconds of sizzling, add tomatoes and stir together. Add sugar, salt, and basil sprigs and turn heat to medium-high so tomatoes come to a brisk simmer. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to thick, fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Remove basil sprigs.
• If using unpeeled tomatoes and a food mill, put sauce through fine blade of the mill. Add tomato sauce to lentils, stir together, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick, a stew rather than a soup. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in slivered basil.
• Serve in wide bowls, over optional garlic bruschette. Sprinkle Parmesan over each serving if desired.