Quinoa, lentil and vegetable stew

When Susan V of the Fat Free Kitchen blog posted this delicious sounding lentil and vegetable stew last October I made it straight away (with a few tweaks) and loved it. It was full of flavour and extremely simple to prepare so I repeated it a few times last year. 

The first time I made it, the man thought it was a little bit like soup which he is quite partial to at lunchtime but doesn't really fancy for dinner. To combat the soupy texture I increased the amount of quinoa to soak up the juices and give it some more bulk.

It is a lovely warming meal for nights like we have been experiencing in Melbourne this week. The vegetables in the recipe below were what I had on hand, however, mushrooms, broccoli and spinach are some others that have also blended in well. Even my son commented that it is a perfect winter meal as it really warms up your belly. 

Quinoa, lentil and vegetable stew (Adapted from Fat Free Vegan)

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 heaped teaspoon oregano
1 x 400g tin diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
200g pumpkin, chopped into bite-sized pieces
200g cauliflower, chopped into small florets
1 carrot, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 x 400g tin brown lentils 
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
5 large silverbeet leaves, washed well and shredded 
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot, add the onion and cook until it softens. Add the garlic and fry for another minute. Stir through the smoked paprika, cumin and oregano until fragrant then add the tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.

Add the pumpkin, cauliflower, carrots and zucchini as you chop them and then add the tin of lentils with their juices and quinoa. Simmer, covered for about 15-20 minutes until the vegetables and quinoa are almost tender then stir through the silverbeet and cook for another couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve.