Barbecued Lentil Stew

5 cups vegetable broth (or half broth and half water)
12 ounces to 1 pound (about 2 to 2 1/3 cups) brown lentils, see Notes*
1 can (14½ ounces) reduced-sodium diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped green bell pepper
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce of choice*
Hot pepper sauce to taste, optional
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving, optional
Sour cream, for serving, optional

Bring broth (and water) to a boil in a 4 1/2-quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Meanwhile, pick through lentils checking for stones or debris. Rinse and drain lentils. When broth boils, add lentils and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and cook at a very slow boil, covered (crack the lid to vent if the pot threatens to boil over), for 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes with their juice to the pot. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, and barbecue sauce. Simmer 15 minutes, covered, stirring frequently. Add a little more water or vegetable stock if all of the moisture evaporates.

Remove the pot from the heat. Add hot pepper sauce to taste, if desired. Serve topped with cheese and sour cream, if desired.

Barbecued Lentil Stew

Alicia writes:

Twenty-five years ago, I had never eaten a lentil. In fact, I’m not sure I had even seen one. Oh, I grew up with dried beans and legumes a-plenty, but lentils were never part of the mix. Then came a vegetarian restaurant, The Sunshine Café, in Chapel Hill, N.C., where I was in school. The menu was inspired by the Moosewood Restaurant and cookbook, and on that very menu was the first Lentil Chili I had ever encountered.

From the first bite, I was a changed woman.

Fast forward to years later when Beverly shared with me her delicious rendition of Vegetarian Lentil Chili and I was transported back to my college days and lingering hours in the funky little veggie restaurant on Franklin Street.

Just recently I tinkered with Beverly’s recipe, added a signature splash of my favorite barbeque sauce and developed today’s recipe for Barbecued Lentil Chili. This low-calorie, low-fat version is tangy and sweet, but still at first bite I was back to the plywood benches of that Chapel Hill restaurant solving the problems of the world with my friends and fellow students. Who knew such a lowly legume could have such a lasting effect?

Barbecued Lentil Stew

Approximate Values Per Tablespoon: 289 calories (6% from fat), 2 g fat (trace amount saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 17.5 g protein, 52 g carbohydrates, 16 g dietary fiber, 1,274 mg sodium

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