Favourite Lentil & Five Vegetable Stew

A fast, fiber-loaded vegan stew that uses pre-cooked lentils as a shortcut so the whole pot lands in 30 minutes instead of a long Sunday simmer. Leek and shredded carrot get a quick boil to soften their structure, then drain, and crushed tomatoes, corn, lightly steamed broccoli florets, and the cooked lentils all go in together for a quick heat-through.

The red pepper flake amount is generous (a full tablespoon) and is what saves this stew from the gentle-but-boring trap that catches a lot of vegetable soups. Adjust it down if you want, but the heat is what gives the otherwise mild ingredients somewhere interesting to land.

Lightly steaming the broccoli before adding (rather than dropping it in raw) keeps the florets bright green and crisp-tender instead of going army-green from extended cooking. Adding pre-cooked lentils at the end protects them from breaking down into mush. This is essentially an assembly stew with one quick saute step.

Kitchen Tips

• Wash the leeks well; grit hides between the layers. Slice first, then rinse in a colander.
• Use canned lentils if you do not have time to cook from dry; drain and rinse before adding.
• Taste before salting; canned tomatoes vary a lot in sodium and the pepper flakes already pack a punch.
• Make a double batch and portion into containers for fridge or freezer meals.

Variations

• Stir in a half cup of pre-cooked brown rice at the end for a heartier bowl, as the original recipe suggests.
• Add a teaspoon of smoked paprika or cumin for a smokier flavor profile.
• Finish with a handful of baby spinach or kale in the last minute for extra greens.