roasted garlic vegetable stew with red lentils and tomatoes#

easy to make, this hearty and nutritious roasted vegetable stew is a family favorite for chilly evenings. this vegan dinner is rich in flavor from roasting vegetables and garlic at a high heat which creates sweet undertones. enjoy with a thick slice of your favorite bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

source

ingredients#

  • olive oil
  • 1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced
  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped
  • 1 head garlic
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried basil
  • 1000g tomatoes
  • 1500ml vegetable broth
  • 250g red lentils
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

instructions#

  1. preheat the oven to 220°c. line a large baking tray with parchment paper. place the roasting vegetables on the tray (except the garlic), drizzle with olive oil and toss well with a large spoon or your hands ensuring that all the veggies are evenly coated.
  2. slice the pointed end of the garlic bulb off exposing the garlic cloves. drizzle with 1 tsp of oil. wrap tightly with foil and place on the baking tray with the vegetables. bake for 30-40 minutes, tossing every 15 minutes or so and checking the garlic at 25 minutes to make sure it doesn’t burn or dry out.
  3. in a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 3 or 4 minutes until the onion is softened. add the oregano, basil, thyme, tomatoes, vegetable broth and red lentils. turn the heat up to high until the stew comes to a boil, lower the heat, cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the lentils are cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent lentils from sticking to the pot.
  4. squeeze the roasted garlic out of its skins into a high-powered blender. add tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, about 1/2 of the roasted vegetables, and ladle in about 2 cups of the soup. blend on high until smooth. pour this mixture back into the soup pot with the other half of the roasted vegetables. enjoy!