Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

This was tonight's dinner. I liked the warm spice mix, but if you don't have some of them, feel free to simplify or substitute. In this kind of recipe, some people like to pre-saute the onions and garlic and/or toast the spices in a little oil before assembling in the slow cooker.  I don't usually bother, but go ahead if you want to.

If you don't have a slow cooker, you can cook the soup entirely on the stove top. It will probably take an hour or so.

Slow Cooker Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

 Ingredients:

2 cups dry red lentils

1 ½ cups chopped onion (about 1 medium-large)

2 ½ cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice (2-3, depending on sides)

1-2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 ½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp curry powder

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cardamom

¼ tsp fenugreek

1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

¾ tsp salt (more to taste)

2 tsp low sodium vegetable broth powder (I used Vegebase), optional

2 bay leaves

1 small piece kombu

6 ½ cups water, veggie broth, or a combination thereof

2 tsp oil

4-5 dried apricots, chopped (optional)

2-3 pieces candied ginger, chopped (optional)

2-3 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Place all ingredients except lemon juice, in order*, in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, until lentils are soft and sweet potatoes can be easily pierced by a fork. Stir after an hour of cooking, and about once an hour for the rest of cooking time. Before serving, stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve with biscuits or flatbread for dipping.

* It's important that the spices not be on the bottom, because they can burn, and that the water is on top of the spices so that they dissolve. Otherwise you don't have to be too obsessive about the order. The general order of lentils/beans, then vegetables, then spices, then water/broth will serve you well in this kind of recipe.

Vegan Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

 This was fun. I thought it was quite flavorful, and a good use of frugal, healthy ingredients.

Vegan Cabbage Rolls with Sauce

Vegan Sweet and Sour Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage

Filling:

1 cup dry lentils

1 cup dry brown rice

½ large onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp curry powder

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt, pepper, and lemon pepper to taste

¼-1/2 cup small dried fruit such as currants, raisin or dried cranberries

Sauce:

¾ of a 14 oz can cranberry sauce

1 6 oz can tomato sauce

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp soy sauce

Directions:

Core the head of cabbage, and boil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove cabbage from water and let cool.

Cook lentils and brown rice according to your preferred method (I usually go with 20 minutes of simmering for the lentils and 30-35 minutes for the brown rice), using the cabbage water if you like (it has flavor and nutrients). Meanwhile, sauté the onion and garlic with the curry powder and cinnamon.

Sauteing the vegetables

 Peal off leaves of cabbage and set aside for stuffing.  Chop up the inner leaves that are too small for rolls as well as any that are hopelessly broken, and add them to the frying pan with the onions and garlic. Cook for a few minutes.

Mash about ¼ of the lentils (this will act as a binder). Mix in the rest of the lentils, the brown rice, the onion mixture, and the rest of the filling ingredients.  Adjust the flavoring, particularly salt, to taste.

Stuffing the cabbage

Stuff the leaves. Lay a cabbage leaf out flat, and place 1-3 tablespoons of filling, depending on leaf size, near the stem end. Fold in sides and roll up, starting with stem. Place finished rolls seam-side down in slow cooker, piling up in multiple layers. Sprinkle any remaining chunks of cabbage over the top.

In the slow cooker

Mix together sauce ingredients. Pour over rolls in slow cooker.  Add 1-3 cups of water (the cabbage water works fine) until the liquid covers rolls.

Set slow cooker on high and cook for 2-3 hours.

Makes 12-18 rolls (depending on size). Serve with a steak knife, the cabbage remains a little toothsome.

Variation:  For a richer, sweeter sauce, add an extra can of cranberry sauce and omit water.

First Layer of Cabbage Rolls