My Mother's Lentil Stew

Print Recipe

Quick and easy, deeply nourishing and utterly delicious.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Keyword: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Legumes, Meat & Chicken, Soups & Stews

Servings:

Calories: 418kcal

Ingredients

2 lbs smoked turkey leg or bone-in ham hocks and shanks
1 yellow onion halved
1 whole, small head of garlic halved horizontally (leave skin on)
5 medium carrots
4 celery stalks
2 quarts water
1 tsp poultry seasoning mix
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 leeks dark green sections discarded, white and light green parts thoroughly washed and thinly sliced
5 oz Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into roughly 1/2-inch cubes
1¼ cups dry lentils brown or green (French Puy lentils); no need to soak these
2 bay leaves
1 cup fresh parsley
1-2 cloves garlic coarsely chopped
1-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil to drizzle over the soup

Instructions

Put turkey leg or ham hocks and shanks in the Instant Pot along with the onion halves, the halved head of garlic, 2 of the celery stalks (coarsely chopped), 2 of the carrots (coarsely chopped), water,seasoning mix, salt and pepper. Lock the lid and program to HIGH PRESSURE for 30 minutes.
While the meat is cooking, chop the remaining 2 stalks of celery, peel and chop the 3 remaining carrots, clean and slice the leeks and peel and cube the potatoes. Set aside.
Once the meat has finished cooking, cover the pressure valve with a kitchen towel and shift it to VENTING; let the steam escape completely before opening the lid.
Using kitchen tongs, transfer the meat to a plate to cool. Place a sieve over a large, clean bowl and strain the broth into the bowl. Then return the broth to the pot. Add the chopped vegetables and lentils and 2 bay leaves. Lock the lid and program to HIGH PRESSURE for 10 minutes.
While the vegetables and lentils are cooking, finely chop the parsley and raw garlic clove(s) with a chef’s knife. Once cool enough to handle,shred the meat. When the cooking time is up, again quick-release the steam via the towel-covered vent. Lift off the lid, add the meat and fold gently into the lentil and vegetable soup.
Press SAUTE to reheat the meat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chopped parsley and garlic mixture. Season to taste with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar.
Ladle into bowls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Accompany with a slice of toasted sourdough bread, if desired. (Bread not included in the nutrition calculation below.)

Nutrition