Lentil and Portobello Stew

With the return of our Oregon rains soup season has once again begun.  The other night I decided to make a recipe I hadn't made since last fall - Lentil and Portobello Stew.  The original recipe I found at FatFree Vegan's website and you can view it here ---> Link.  I have changed it a smidgen such as using balsamic vinegar instead of the Merlot and by streamlining the herbs.  I also used fresh bay leaves from our tree instead of dried.

I find this to be a very flavorful soup and it is very low calorie and filling. By calculating the calorie content of the individual ingredients the whole pot of soup came in under 700 calories.

LENTIL AND PORTOBELLO STEW

INGREDIENTS:
1 large sweet Onion, chopped
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 Portobello Mushrooms, chopped in 1 inch chunks
4 Cups warm Water mixed with
4 tsp No Beef Base by Better than Bouillon
1 Cup dry Lentils
2 tsp Herbes De Provence (I use Penzeys blend)
2 Bay Leaves
2 stalks Celery, chopped
2 Carrots, sliced
1 large Potato
3-4 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In large soup pot cook onions over medium to high heat adding a little water if they start to stick.  Cook until translucent then add garlic and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their juices.

2.  Add the 4 cups of no beef stock.  Stir in lentils, Herbes De Provence, bay leaves, celery, carrots, and potato.  Bring to boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes.  

3.  Add the balsamic vinegar.  Continue cooking if the lentils and veggies aren't quite done.  I found they were all cooked after 20 minutes, but depending on your type of lentils and size of veggie chunks it may take longer.

4.  Remove form heat and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

- Au Revoir

"Good soup is one of the prime ingredients for good living.  For the soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish." - Louis P. De Gouy, 'The Soup Book' (1949)

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