Lentil-Tomato Stew with Browned Onions

This hearty vegetarian lentil-tomato stew makes a great main course, is rich in dietary fibre, and offers more than 300 percent of the daily recommended intake for beta carotene.

Ingredients 1 cup dried shitake mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
4 teaspoons olive oil
3 carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3/4 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 cup crushed tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
1 cup frozen peas

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the shitake mushrooms and boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes, or until softened. With your fingers, remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, reserving the liquid. Trim any stems from the mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Strain the reserved liquid through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter; set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat 3 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened.
Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, salt, cumin, ginger, sage, mushrooms and reserved liquid. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sugar; cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes or until the onions are lightly browned.
Add the peas to the stew and cook for 2 minutes to heat through. Serve the lentil-tomato stew topped with the browned onions.

Serves 4

Nutritional information PER SERVING
290 calories
5.5 g total fat (13 percent saturated)
15 g protein
49 g carbohydrate
10 g fibre
0 mg cholesterol
601 mg sodium

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