Southwestern Lentil Stew

The Inspiration…

I love tacos. I love chicken tacos, beef tacos, shrimp tacos, fish tacos. I love all the taco toppings. I love the taco shells. But, sometimes I can get a little carried away. I wanted to find a way to get all that great taco flavor but in a little bit of a healthier package. This Lentil Stew is just that. Packed with chicken, onion, cilantro, and all the taco flavors you love like cumin, garlic, and Sazon. Lentils are the perfect base for this stew. They cook down into a soft, yet full body stew. Lentils are a great source of protein, iron, and fiber. Eating lentils is also a great way to get calcium, folic acid, and magnesium. They come in many colors, but for this stew I chose green lentils. I’ve also used red and it tastes just as delicious.

While this stew may not be all that aesthetically pleasing, it sure is tastebud pleasing! My husband devours this stew and when I’ve served it to kiddos, I refer to it as “Taco soup” and they mow it down! Just add their favorite toppings and maybe a few tortilla chips on the side to dip in. This stew freezes nicely, too. So, go ahead, make a big batch and freeze any leftovers…if there are any!

We’re going to start with the aromatics, onion, scallion, cilantro and garlic. Heat these in a Dutch oven over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the onions are slightly translucent. Then you can add in your Roma tomato. While this is cooking, rinse your lentils and sort out anything that doesn’t look like the rest. Sometimes you will get hard stone-like pieces that you won’t want to eat.

Add in all those wonderful “taco spices”, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, sazon, and salt. Let this cook about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add your chicken Bouillion mixed with water. Stir in your lentils. Simmer this mixture for 10 minutes. Then add in your chicken thighs. Nestle them down into the lentils, cover the pot, and simmer for 25 minutes.

After 25 minutes, give everything a good stir. Your lentils should be soft and most of the liquid should be cooked off. You may need to cook for another 10 minutes without the lid to achieve the right consistency. Take out your chicken thighs and shred them with two forks then mix back into your stew.

Serve this stew topped with any of your favorite taco accoutrement. I like to add corn, cilantro, sliced jalapeno and sour cream. Sometimes we add a little Pico de gallo or hot sauce. You do you! There is no wrong way to eat this stew! I love this meal because it is hearty and satisfying, yet it does not make you feel like you just ate 5 tacos. I think you’ll love this anytime of the year!

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Southwestern Lentil Soup

Yield: 6-8

Author: Julia Goodrich

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 45 Min

This Southwestern Lentil Stew is hearty and healthy! It is satisfying without weighing you down. The combination of spices will give you taco vibes that your family is sure to love!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 1/4 cilantro, chopped
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp Sazon
• 2 TBSP Better than Bouillion Chicken Flavor
• 5 cups water
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Instructions

1. Heat your oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in your onion, garlic, scallion, and cilantro with 1 tsp salt. Cook for 5 minutes, or until onion becomes translucent.
2. Add in your Roma tomato and let cook for another 3 minutes. While this is cooking, rinse and sort your lentils. Remove any pieces that do not look like the other lentils. You will sometimes find hard stone-like pieces that you don't want to eat.
3. Add in your garlic powder, cumin, oregano, Sazon, and the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Mix together the chicken Bouillion and water. Pour into the pot and stir. Then add your lentils. Simmer this for 10 minutes.
5. Nestle your chicken thighs into the lentils. Cover the pot and then simmer for 25 minutes.
6. After 25 minutes, uncover and stir.
7. Cook for up to another 10 minutes uncovered to let some additional moisture cook off. The consistency will be thick. If you prefer a looser stew, skip this step.
8. Remove your chicken thighs and shred the meat with a fork. Return the chicken back to the pot and mix until thoroughly combined.
9. Serve with your favorite taco toppings such as sliced jalapeno, corn, sour cream, cilantro, etc.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

135.73

Fat

6.27

Sat. Fat

1.32

Carbs

3.32

Fiber

0.65

Net carbs

2.67

Sugar

1.14

Protein

15.99

Sodium

694.27

Cholesterol

75.27

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

https://joyfulforkfull.com/blog/southwestern-lentil-stew

Stew, Lentil, Taco, Soup, Corn, Southwestern, Oregano, Cumin, Garlic, Chicken Thighs, Onion, Scallion, Cilantro

Dinner, Stew