A few weeks ago, my friend Catherine McCord sent me a copy of her new cookbook, Weelicious. I met Catherine at the BlogHer Conference in Seattle this past summer. I immediately knew she was destined for great things. She is passionate about her blog, and she’s really dedicated herself to creating healthy food options for busy families on the go. Catherine’s site Weelicious is super successful, and I’m sure her new cookbook will be, too. It’s full of quick, healthy, kid-friendly recipes and cooking tips. It’s not a kosher cookbook, but it does have lots of options for those who keep kosher. Busy families will love this book, it’s full of fun and easy ideas to nourish your family.
When the weather begins cooling down and the skies are overcast, there’s nothing quite like a slow cooker meal to warm the tummy and comfort the spirit. I adapted the following recipe from Catherine’s “Slow-Cooker Lentil Veggie Stew” in the Weelicious cookbook. The original recipe is a great base to work from. I decided to spice it up a bit– which little kid mouths might not appreciate, but in our family everything gets the spicy treatment! I added cumin, black pepper, and cayenne to the mix. I also threw in some cauliflower to add some texture and bulk to the soup, while keeping things low cal. Catherine suggests topping the stew with plain yogurt, herbed goat cheese, feta, crème fraîche, or grated Parmesan. We stirred in some Greek yogurt and lowfat sour cream because it’s what we had on hand. Both were terrific, they added a nice creamy touch to the broth. Obviously you can leave the dairy products out to keep the stew vegan or pareve. I also threw in a few seasoned breadcrumbs, they sopped up the soup and tasted awesome. On its own, the stew is simple, natural comfort food– gluten free, low fat, low calorie, and vegan. Good for the body, good for the soul. What could be better?
I have two Weelicious cookbooks to give away this week! Enter to win your own copy by leaving a comment below, along with a valid email address, letting me know the answer to this question:
What was your favorite meal when you were a kid?
All entrants will be subscribed to my weekly newsletter (unless you are already subscribed). Two winners will be chosen at random and notified via email. Contest ends at 5:00pm PST on Friday, October 12, 2012.
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CONTEST ENDED. Congrats to Toni and Mary Ann!
New giveaway posting soon.
Learn more about the Weelicious cookbook, and buy your own copy – click here.
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Slow Cooker Lentil Cauliflower Stew
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried lentils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups of onion)
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound cauliflower, chopped into very small florets
- 2 leeks, white and green parts only, halved, washed carefully, and chopped)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (very spicy-- add 1/4 tsp or less for a milder flavor)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 32 ounces diced tomatoes with juice (1 large can)
- 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard
Optional Toppings
- Plain yogurt, herbed goat cheese, feta, crème fraîche, grated Parmesan, Greek yogurt or lowfat sour cream
NOTES
Instructions
- Sort the lentils, discarding any stones or impurities. Rinse the lentils in a wire mesh strainer.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion for about 4 minutes, till softened. Add the chopped garlic and saute for another minute.
- Pour the softened onions and garlic into the slow cooker and add the remaining ingredients (minus toppings).Cover the slow cooker and turn heat to high. Set timer to 6 hours on high, or 8 hours on low, until the lentils are tender.
- Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
Nutrition
Love this nutritious recipe and have made it several times over the years without issue. Always delish!
I used fresh lentils from Wholefoods and cooked hours in the All Clad slow cooker on low and the lentils remained quite firm. I suspect the high setting would be better for 4 hours, as the low simply doesn’t seem to get hot enough to properly cook the lentils (too bad, as this is a great overnighter!)
I’ve cooked in slow cooker 10 hours and now boiling on top of stove . The lentils are near rock solid LOL.
Something is wrong with your lentils – lentils should only take 20 minutes to cook on stovetop, if that. Perhaps they were old or stale?
I made this for dinner tonight and my family and I really enjoyed it! My 4 year old son, who is good with vegetables but doesn’t usually enjoy cauliflower, actually ate all of it and said it was yummy! Will save and make again for sure. Thank you!
I just made this recipe following your instructions verbatim and the lentils are still hard after cooking on high for 8 hours. The broth tastes yummy and I love the cauliflower but am disappointed in the lentils. Wondering what I might have done wrong?
Two potential issues – either the lentils you used are old, which means they may have trouble softening, or your slow cooker runs cooler than the test kitchen one and didn’t heat them enough. If the second issue is to blame, you can put it on the stovetop, adding water as needed, and simmer until they soften.
Are we able to use lentils that are pre-rinsed? Refrigerated from Trader Joe’s … ?
You mean pre-cooked lentils, I’m guessing. Yes, you can, but they may become slightly mushy if cooked as long as the recipe recommends. Try adding the lentils halfway through cooking so they don’t overcook.
It doesn’t look like there is any stock or water added to this recipe. Am I reading that correctly? Is the juice from the tomatoes enough for the lentils to cook? Thanks!
The recipe also calls for 8 cups of low sodium vegetable stock.
Oops! Sorry, I missed that. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes. You are my go-to source for holiday menus. I have made many apple cakes over the years and found a winner here. Every time I make it, I’m asked for the recipe.
Glad I could help Naomi! 🙂
This is an excellent recipe. Easy to make and full of flavor!!
Very very good. Simple to make I am very happy. My first time on this site, I will certainly return.