5-Minute Tomato Lentil Stew For Those Lazy Days

This 5-minute tomato lentil stew is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, a quick lunch or a side dish. Perfect for those lazy days!

Soups and stews are my favorite thing to make. No matter the season I can always appreciate a quick and simple warming bowl of food. There is something about cozying up on the couch with a big bowl of warm food. For me this is pure relaxation and happiness. So I never understood why stews are only associated with colder seasons. This tomato lentil stew is an example of an easy all year-round recipe for a quick stew that is especially great for those lazy days as it takes less than 10 minutes to make.

There are so many variations of stews. Hearty with loads of beans and lighter with more vegetables. Most of the stews I make that are a bit less heavy also don’t require to simmer on the stove for hours. I used my instant pot to cook the lentils and made a bigger batch for later in the week. I noticed that in any given week, no matter what else I cook (or what season it is) I almost always prepare one meal that takes the form of a stew or a thick soup. It can easily be served with quinoa, buckwheat, rice, with a toast or as a side dish. This tomato lentil stew is my latest favorite though, because it’s so simple  and so delicious. I know you guys like simple quick meals, so if you have 5 minutes, and a few basic ingredients you’re ready to make this quick stew.

When I was in Prague a month ago I bought a few packs of BPA-free organic chopped Italian tomatoes and I regret not buying more. These are so delicious! I can find (of course) chopped tomatoes almost everywhere, but they often contain extra ingredients such as oils, salt, and/or sugar. Or they or not BPA-free packed. Why oh why…. If you’re just like me not able to find chopped tomatoes with a ton of other ingredients, you can read in the recipe below how you can copy the store-bought version containing only tomatoes.

I hope you’ll enjoy this quick stew as much as I do, and I hope you find ways to make it your own quick go-to stew recipe. I would love to see it on Instagram or Facebook so don’t forget to tag me #thegreencreator
Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
5-Minute Tomato Lentil Stew

5-Minute Tomato Lentil Stew

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews
  • Author: The Green Creator
  • Prep Time: 2 mins
  • Cook Time: 5 mins
  • Total Time: 7 mins
  • Yield: 1 1x
  • Category: lunch, dinner, side dish
  • Cuisine: vegan, plant-based, glutenfree, dairy free, vegetarian

Description

This 5-minute tomato lentil stew is simple enough for a weeknight dinner, a quick lunch or a side dish.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pack organic chopped tomatoes in tomato juice (390 gr) (see notes)
  • 240 gram / about 3 cups cooked lentils of choice
  • 120 gr / 1 cup frozen green peas
  • one onion, chopped
  • ½ cup water or 2 tbs of oil
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or 1 fresh garlic clove, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ to 1 tsp cumin, dried
  • 1 tsp coriander, dried
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • to taste and optional: nuts and seeds to garnish such as pistachio, almonds, walnut or pecans

Instructions

  1. Heat ½ cup of water (or oil if you use oil) in a pot over medium heat. When the water is warm, add the onion. Cook onion for five minutes, stirring now and then, or until the onion is soft and clear. Add the garlic clove if you use fresh garlic and cook a few more moments, stirring frequently and adding a tablespoon or two of water if the garlic and onion starts to stick.
  2. Add the tomatoes, green peas, lentils, coriander, cumin, black pepper, garlic powder and cinnamon. Cook tomatoes, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until you have a somewhat thicker substance. When I’m in a rush I only take the time to warm the tomatoes. But if you let this simmer a bit longer, the flavors will (of course) develop better.
  3. Taste the stew, and adjust seasonings as desired. Serve the stew with (more) parsley and nuts and seeds to garnish such as almonds, walnuts or pecans (optional).

Notes

If you can’t find chopped organic tomatoes without added sugar, oil and salt, you can mix 100 grams pure tomato puree with 300 ml water. Add 3 finely chopped small tomatoes. Add more water to thin and add more tomato puree to thicken the mixture.

If you find this stew too filling or if you would like to serve it as a side dish, use less lentils.

 

 

Leave a Comment

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.