Hearty Turkey Lentil Stew

As Thanksgiving creeps up on us ever so quickly, Mary from What’s Cooking with Mary,  has come with a fun recipe to help use our Turkey leftovers!

I love Mary’s blog, she always has great recipes!

Slow Cooker Hearty Turkey Lentil Stew

This hearty Crockpot stew recipe came to me as I walked by the roasted chickens at the market. You’re thinking… ‘chicken… I thought you said TURKEY lentil stew… ?’. You’re correct! I glanced at all the roasted chickens and spotted some turkey breasts sitting toward the back of the shelf. For dinner that night, I had originally planned to make a vegetable lentil stew, but now knew that I needed to try to incorporate some roasted turkey breast with the idea that I would use this recipe after Thanksgiving with the leftovers. I use bay leaves here, but if you don’t have any, I think it would still taste fabulous. I highly recommend buying a package as they last a very long time in your pantry in a sealed container. Look for the plastic packages versus the bottled kind, as you can save quite a bit of money. This stew freezes nicely. Take it out of the freezer the night before and by the next night, you’ll have dinner waiting and ready to be heated in the microwave.

This recipe does make a generous amount, so if you desire half it. I noticed that after it sat in the fridge over night it needed a bit more liquid, so I added about a half cup of water before reheating. Serve with warm bread, a little green onion and here at our house… we like ours with a bunch of hot sauce!

What You Need:
2 cups green lentils, rinsed and picked through
4 cups roasted and shredded turkey breast (or chicken)
1 – 32 oz box chicken or turkey stock (or broth if unavailable)
1 medium to large brown onion, diced
4 carrots, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
1 – 28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 large russet potato, diced (about 4 cups)
6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
2 bay leaves (optional)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

What To Do:
Combine all ingredients in a large Crockpot and set to low for 6 hours. Stir after 3 hours if possible. Serve with freshly baked bread.

This stew serves a crowd.

Bon Appétit!

  -Mary

**Cook’s Note: If you don’t have a Crockpot… Heat 1 Tbs. olive oil in a large heavy bottomed soup pot. Sauté vegetables (except garlic & potato), bay leaves (if using), salt and pepper for about 8-10 minutes over medium/high heat. Once vegetables have softened, add the tomatoes, potato and stock. Simmer over low heat with the lid on until lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes or until desired consistency.**

THANKS MARY!!!!