The Cozy Italian Lentils I’ve Made a Thousand Times

Ingredients

• 1 onion (medium, diced)
• 3 bell peppers (diced small; the video uses green, red, and yellow)
• 2 potatoes (medium, diced small)
• celery or carrot (optional; add if desired for a classic mirepoix)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds (ground)
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds (ground)
• 0.75 tsp anise seeds (ground)
• 1 tsp white peppercorns (ground)
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cloves garlic (sliced)
• 1 lemon (zest and juice)
• dried chili flakes (a pinch; ground)
• olive oil (a good amount to cover the bottom of the pan)
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup French green lentils (rinse well)
• 1 can crushed tomatoes (no salt added; can size not specified)
• 4 cups water (add extra as needed; video adds about another ¼ cup to rinse the tomato can, and later another cup as the stew thickens)
• 2 bay leaves (listed again in the stew base; kept as a separate recipe-list entry)
• 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon paste (the video refers to no-chicken broth; dissolve in water as broth)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 handful fresh parsley (chopped; reserve some for topping)

Steps

1. 1

   Dice the onion, bell peppers, and potatoes small. Celery or carrot may also be prepared if using.

2. 2

   In a mortar and pestle, crush the coriander, fennel, anise, white peppercorns, and dried chili flakes until coarse.

3. 3

   Add the sliced garlic and lemon zest to the mortar. Pound until the mixture forms a fragrant paste, then set it aside.

4. 4

   Rinse the French green lentils well and set them aside.

5. 5

   Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat, using enough to cover the bottom.

6. 6

   Add the tomato paste. Fry until it darkens and begins to caramelize.

7. 7

   Add the spice-garlic paste and fry briefly to bloom the aromatics.

8. 8

   Add the diced onion and bell peppers (and celery or carrot, if using). Stir to coat them in the tomato-spice mixture and cook until softened.

9. 9

   Stir in the rinsed lentils and cook briefly with the vegetables.

10. 10

    Add the crushed tomatoes, 4 cups water, lemon juice, and bay leaves. A little extra water may be used to rinse out the tomato can.

11. 11

    Bring the stew to a slow boil. When it reaches a boil, add the diced potatoes.

12. 12

    Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils and potatoes are tender. Add more water if the stew thickens too quickly.

13. 13

    Taste the stew. Add the vegetable bouillon paste, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper, adjusting the seasoning to taste. Add more water if needed to loosen the thick stew.

14. 14

    Stir in the chopped fresh parsley near the end of cooking, reserving some to finish the bowls.

15. 15

    Serve the lentils with the reserved parsley and any toppings you like; the source suggests making the toppings your own.

Notes

The source lists bay leaves in both Seasonings and Stew Base; both entries are retained. It gives no exact can size for the crushed tomatoes and no defined amounts for optional vegetables, oil, salt, or pepper. The video also demonstrates optional toppings, including tofu, Beyond sausage, peas, tomatoes, red onion, vegan feta, bell pepper, parsley, and greens, but does not give a complete measured topping recipe. The written method and video differ slightly on when potatoes are added; this extraction follows the written description, which adds them after the stew reaches a slow boil.

Nutrition per serving

• Italian
• stew
• vegan
• plant-based
• gluten-free
• one-pot
• budget-friendly
• comfort food