Romanian-style red and green lentil stew

Are you a fan of starchy legumes? I’m one of the biggest fans of any kind of white bean stews and pea stews. Unfortunately, during the summer, it can be exhausting to boil white beans until they’re soft (I prefer to use dried beans instead of the canned ones, they have more flavor).

Since lentils can be prepared so much easier than beans, I whipped up this Romanian-style lentil stew, with a bit of garlic (or more, I’m a Romanian, I can’t help it…), carrots and celery root. I’m telling you, you’re gonna love it!

Cooking red lentils comes together relatively fast – let them soak in water for 1 hour, then boil them for no more than 15 minutes. Add them to the sautéed veggies and, for extra flavor, cook them in the oven for another 15 minutes. How much is that? Frankly, it’s just 30 minutes without the soaking.

This easy-peasy lentil stew is a vegan recipe, really delicious on its own. If you love meat, it goes best with some fried sausages. I also tried it with baked duck legs and a fresh tomato salad – simply loved it! I added a blend of both red and green lentils, for a bit of extra color.

Ingredients

400 g red lentils

100 g green lentils

1 large onion

2 carrots

1 small celery root

5 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180° Celsius.
2. Put the lentils in a large bowl and wash them until the water is clear. Let them soak in cold water for about 1 hour.
3. Boil the lentils on low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile finely chop the onion, the garlic and celery root and cut the carrots into slices.
5. Heat the oil and fry the onion for 1 minute, then add the garlic and fry them for no more than 2 minutes.
6. Add the carrots and celery, fry them a bit, then slowly pour 1 ladle of hot water and sweat them until they’re a bit tender.
7. Add the tomato paste and the lentils, the bay leaves, salt and pepper. Combine well.
8. Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
9. Serve with fresh tomato salad and, if you like it, with fried sausages.