I love this recipe … and you can make lots of substitutions if you wish. This used to have lamb in it and I made it many times with chicken. But I don’t miss the meat though, so give this a try if you are contemplating trying fewer meals with meat, or even becoming vegetarian or vegan.
1 tablespoon olive oil (optional – use water or stock if you want to avoid the basically empty calories of oil)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup lentils
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained
3 1/2 cups chopped collards or spinach (about 1/4 pound)
1 cup diced carrot
2 cups cooked garbanzo beans (if canned, drained and rinsed well)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
cilantro sprigs (optional)
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add onion, celery, and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add curry, cumin, and pepper; stir well to coat. Add broth, lentils, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add greens, garbanzo beans and carrot; simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.