Spicy Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew With Chipotles

Spicy Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew With Chipotles
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(1,497)
Comments
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The sweetness of the sweet potatoes infuses this Mexican-inspired lentil dish along with the heat of the chipotles, which also have a certain sweetness as well because of the adobo sauce they’re they are packed in. The combination, with the savory lentils, is a winner.

Featured in: Root Vegetable Sweetness

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Ingredients

Yield:Serves 6 to 8
  • 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1medium onion, chopped
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • Salt to taste
  • 2teaspoons cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground
  • 2medium carrots, diced
  • cups brown or green lentils, rinsed
  • 6cups water
  • 2medium-size sweet potatoes (aka yams, with dark orange flesh, 1 to 1¼ pounds), peeled and cut in large dice
  • 1 to 2chipotles in adobo, seeded and chopped (to taste)
  • 2tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1bay leaf
  • ¼cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (to taste)
  • Lime wedges for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

191 calories; 2 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 34 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 691 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until it softens, about 5 minutes, and add the garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until the garlic smells fragrant, about 30 seconds, and add the ground cumin seeds and carrots. Stir together for a minute, then add the lentils, water, sweet potatoes, chipotles, tomato paste, salt to taste and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender and the broth fragrant. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in the cilantro or parsley, simmer for another minute, and serve, passing lime wedges so diners can season their lentils with a squeeze of lime juice if desired.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: This will be good for 3 or 4 four days but it will thicken as the lentils will continue to swell. If you want to thin it out, add water or stock.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,497 user ratings
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Comments

Very fragrant dish while under preparation. I used vegetable broth instead of water and steamed the carrots before adding them at the very end, hoping their texture would compliment the softer sweet potatoes - it worked! Delicious, too.

Two peppers added just the right amount of heat according to my husband and son. I used a colorful lentil medley and a couple splashes of plum vinegar at the end to brighten up the dish, which made it perfect.

I found this unbalanced. It sorely needed an umami component for richness and mouthfeel. Although it would make it non-vegetarian, the addition of some pork shoulder would help, as would replacing the water with chicken stock. Or maybe just some cheese, like chèvre.

I also found 4 cups of liquid sufficient and resulted in more of a stew rather than a soup.

We added more cumin, more lime, more cilantro. And even so it tastes like a pretty basic lentil soup, not getting a ton of flavor from the chipotles. Adding a sprinkle of coarse salt helped wake up some of the flavors. Next time I’m going to use broth instead of water and add some more chili in adobo to give it some more oomph

Has anyone put leftovers in the freezer?

Upped the garlic and chipotle; used chicken broth; added kale at the end. divided and froze for many breakfasts. Yum

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