Friday, December 19, 2008

:: creamy butternut lentil stew ::

This has gotta be one of my favorite soups/stews ever. The base recipe came from Dyl's slower cooker cookbook, except modified for a pressure cooker. I built on it to incorporate some of the other stuff in my fridge.


1 large onion, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup green lentils
6-7 cups of broth, I used 4 cups broth, 3 cups water
1/4 head of cabbage
2 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
1 medium butternut squash, seeded, and cut into 3 inch chunks
1 bunch of leafy greens. I used kale.

1. Start by sauteing the mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) until onions are soft. Coat with some salt and add the bay leaf and red pepper. After 1-2 minutes, add in the green lentils and make sure everything is well coated.

1. Stir in the liquid and add in the cabbage, potatoes and butternut squash.

2. Bring to a boil. Close the pressure cooker with the lid and bring to the first red ring.

3. Maintain at the first red ring but 9 minutes. Don't over do it or the lentils will fall apart!

4. Bring the PC down to normal pressure using the quick release method.

5. Open the PC lid and fish out all the potatoes and butternut squash chunks.

6. Throw in the leafy green veges and let soup sit for a few minutes.

7. Meanwhile, blend the potatoes and butternut squash with a cup or two of the soup liquid. When smooth, dump it back into the pressure cooker and mix well with the rest of the soup.

8. Salt and pepper accordingly.

Delicious stew ready in 20 mins. Fantastic!

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