Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil
- ½ cup chopped red onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ small yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, cored and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 (4 oz.) eggplant, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 T unsalted tomato paste
- 2 ¾ cups water
- ½ cup uncooked dried brown lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
Optional: Garnish with chopped parsley, sliced scallion greens or a hint of crushed red pepper.
Directions
- Add oil to a large saucepan over medium heat and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Place onion, garlic and bell pepper in the pan and cook 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and eggplant and cook 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add tomato paste and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Add 2 ¾ cups water, lentils and bay leaves.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer about 20 minutes until lentils are almost tender.
- Stir in zucchini, salt and pepper and cook about 6 minutes until lentils are tender and zucchini is crisp-tender. Discard bay leaves and serve.
Optional: garnish with chopped parsley, sliced green scallions or a hint of crushed red pepper.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 5-6 cups 3-Cup Serving: 392 calories; protein 19g; carbohydrates 61g; dietary fiber 13g; sugars 14g; fat 10g; saturated fat 1g; sodium 783mg; calcium 9% DV; potassium 41% DV