Moroccan Lentil Stew

Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour!

Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

This week I’m bringing you a couple of my favorite “family meals in under an hour” recipes.  I realize it’s very challenging for working families to put a home cooked meal on the table each and every night.  It’s not easy, however meal planning helps A LOT and I totally recommend it.  Start by finding a few recipes that are easy to make, the whole family enjoys and are economical.  Over time you will build up your recipe library and you can rotate them through the weeks.  This Moroccan stew recipe is made a few times a month in my family and has been for a few years now…and we’re still not sick of it!   I’m not sure where my sister-in-law originally found it, but we’ve altered it a lot through the years.  In fact, we alter it almost every time we make it!  It’s a very versatile stew, you can include all sorts of vegetables or grains and it will still taste good!

Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

 My mom adds pasta or orzo however, I didn’t add it this time to keep it gluten-free.  I sometimes add brown rice or serve on top of warm quinoa.  

Moroccan Lentil Stew
 
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Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 3 carrots, chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (or 1½ cup cooked chickpeas)
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ⅓ cup raisins or currants
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • extra fresh cilantro and lemon wedge for garnish
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until translucent.
  2. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  3. Add celery and carrots and sauté until tender crisp.
  4. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender.
  5. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Remove cinnamon stick, top with fresh cilantro leaves and lemon wedge and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1 Calories: 423 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 82 Fiber: 10 Protein: 17

 Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

Moroccan Lentil Stew, a budget friendly and healthy family meal made in under an hour! ~vegan, gluten free~

split pea soup ~vegan, gluten free~

We have a big eating week ahead of us!  Overeating is inevitable during the holidays, so balance it out by eating super healthy before and after the big event!  Focus on simple soups or salads, like this split pea soup!

Simple Split Pea Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

Split peas are loaded with fiber, 1 cup of cooked split peas contains a whopping 16 grams of fiber, that’s more than half of your daily needs!  The soluble fiber found in split peas helps with digestive disorders such as diverticulosis and heart disease.  They also contain B vitamins, minerals and a whole lot of protein!

Not only is this soup really easy to make, it’s also easy on the budget!  The entire recipe costs roughly $10 and that’s with using mostly organic ingredients!

Simple Split Pea Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

split pea soup
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6-8 servings
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cups carrots, chopped
  • 2 cup potatoes, diced
  • 1 16 oz bag of dried split peas
  • 8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon italian seasoning
  • 1-1.5 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add onions and sauté until lightly golden.
  3. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  4. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.
  5. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
  6. Serve warm and enjoy!

Simple Split Pea Soup ~vegan, gluten free~

kale and potato soup ~vegan, gluten free~

A rustic meal made in under an hour!  Kale and potato soup!

Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!

We’re back!  

Between a family trip to Disney World and preparing for our big move, things have been a bit crazy!  Meals are simple these days, mostly soups, salads and sandwiches.  Kitchen sink soups are great to make when trying to empty out the refrigerator and shelves!  I’ve also been utilizing summer kale that was frozen for this very purpose!

When we move into our new house I am getting my very own pantry!  I honestly could care less what the rest of the house looks like as long as I have a big kitchen and pantry!

Having a well stocked pantry is so important!  Remember: when you have healthy food in the house, you will eat healthy food!  Many pantry items can be thrown together to create a simple and healthy meal in a limited amount of time!  Stock up on these when on sale!

Here is a list of a few of my pantry favorites:

~canned beans (BPA free lined cans), white, black, kidney and chickpeas Lots of beans! 

~dried beans and lentils

~vegetable broth

~brown and basmati rice

~quinoa

~barley

~whole wheat, gluten free or brown rice pasta

~extra dried seasonings, sea salt and pepper

~braggs amino acids or tamari

~red wine and rice vinegar

~dijon mustard

~organic diced tomatoes and tomato sauce

~capers and olives

~olive oil, toasted sesame seed oil and coconut oil

~old fashioned oats

~dried fruit (organic raisins and cranberries)

~nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios), pine nuts, sunflower seeds, tahini and nut butters

~flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds

~canned coconut milk, non-refrigerated almond milk

Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!

Kale and Potato Soup
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6-8 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes (organic)
  • 4 red potatoes, chopped
  • 2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4-6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bunch of kale, destemmed and chopped (or frozen kale)
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and sauté onion until lightly golden. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant.
  2. Add broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, beans and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  3. Add kale and simmer for an additional 10 minutes, add sea salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Enjoy!

 Kale and Potato Soup ~ vegan, gluten free ~ A rustic meal made in less than an hour!