Slow Cooker Lentil + Sweet Potato Stew

We love a good one pot recipe and today's Lentil + Sweet Potato Stew is no exception. Toss everything into your slow cooker and let dinner do its thing -- you just freed up 2 hours!

Spring may have sprung, but it's still been chilly here in Southern California. While I'm ready for some warmer weather, I won't complain about getting to use my slow cooker a bit longer.

This dish is so warm, hearty, creamy, nutty and sweet. I balanced mine with sauteed greens and toasted hazelnuts, which creates a great combination of salty, bitter and sweet tastes. Lentils are high in protein and low in fat, while sweet potatoes are a source of both vitamin C and potassium. Add sautéed greens to that and you’ve got a serious dose of nutrition.

This dish is dairy and gluten free and is very easy to throw together. Just two hours in a slow cooker and bam, dinner is ready! 

LENTIL + SWEET POTATO STEW

Yields: 4-5 servings 

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, thinly sliced and then chopped into ½ inch cubes

1 1/4 cup lentils, dried, not canned

2 cups fresh homemade hazelnut or almond milk

1 ½ cups water

1 heaping Tbsp vegetable bouillon or 4 bouillon cubes

1 tsp cumin powder

¼ tsp sea salt

¼ cup miso paste

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

2 Tbsp agave nectar

1 small shallot, finely chopped

Instructions

1. In a slow cooker, you’ll want to add everything once it’s all chopped up and prepped. Prep shouldn’t take longer than 5-6 minutes.
2. Turn slow cooker on high. Cook for 2 hours if you want this to be a firmer dish. Cook for 2.5 hours if you want it mushier as shown in the picture. I liked it his way because it sort of pureed which was great for my older kids and my 1 year old as well. They loved the texture.
3. Serve in bowls topped with toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or almonds.

*Optional: sautéed dark leafy greens are a wonderful topping for this stew. You can follow my recipe, if you don’t already have one.  

Article contributed by BasilHealth, a new consumer digital health technology company imagining the next generation in personalized medicine by empowering people to take control of their health. Recipe + photos credit: Juli Novotny Goddard