Honorary Dish of the Day: French Lentil Stew with Garlic & Basil

Honorary Dish of the Day: Our honorary dish of the day is a variation of one of my favorite vegetable stews of all time...this hearty and absolutely heart-warming French Lentil Stew with Garlic & Basil. French lentils, also known as Le Puy green lentils, are small and have a distinctive streak-like pattern on their surface. I love this particular variety of lentils due to their uniquely peppery flavor as well as the fact that they tend to stay intact and firmly remain in shape even after boiling. The photo shown below provides irrefutable evidence of their outstanding quality - there is no denying that they are simply beautiful! For this recipe, I first boiled 2 cups of lentils in a large pot for about 20 minutes. I then sautéed some diced red onions, crushed garlic, and tomatoes for about 3 minutes before adding in the boiled lentils. I seasoned the mixture with a blend of spices including smoked paprika, turmeric, cumin, ground black pepper, and some salt to taste. I added about 1 cup of water and let it simmer for about 10 minutes before adding some chopped basil towards the end of the cooking process and removing the pot from the stove. I served my stew hot, garnished with my favorite sweet potato crackers, and paired it with some turmeric rice for a hearty dinner meal. This recipe creates about 4 servings. I encourage you to give this a try sometime and enjoy!😋🍜