Italian Lentil Stoup

This Vegetarian Slow Cooker was to visit dear old friends and their family for dinner tonight in the icy high dessert surrounded by glorious snow capped mountains.  Not wanting to venture to the store in the cold morning, I raided Cousin Cake Queen's pantry and fridge in search of whatever hodge podge of ingredients might pass for a warm and hearty stoupy accompaniment to the evening.  This was the result.  It was started at 10 AM, and other items tossed in around 1 PM.   It was loaded into the car around 5 PM and continued simmering as old friends chatted away.  There was about a bowl left for the ride home

Winner, Loser or Meh

This was good and very very good on the second day.  Very filling, hearty, and easy.  Mr Treebeard's father enjoyed it especially.

Recipe

I used a 5 1/2 - 6 quart oval for this

Ingredients:

• 1 lb package dried brown lentils, rinsed, drained
• 8 cups vegetable stock (or water and vegetable "Better than Bouillon" to make  8 cups)
• 3 Tbls butter (vegans can use extra olive oil)
• 1 Tbls olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled, diced fine
• 3 large cloves garlic, mined
• 2 carrots, trimmed, scrubbed, diced fine
• 2 celery stalks, trimmed, scrubbed, diced fine
• 3 Tbls chopped basil
• 1 3/4 Tbls dark molasses (or dark brown sugar)
• 2 1/2 Tbls lemon juice
• 2 1/2 Tbls dry Sherry
• salt & pepper to taste

Toppings for serving:

• chopped scallions
• Balsamic vinegar

 Place lentils in the crock.  Add stock.  Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.  In a skillet over medium high heat, saute onions, celery, and carrots in butter and olive oil until soft and starting to brown.  Add the garlic and cook another couple of minutes.  Add all of this to the crock.  Cover and continue cooking on low for another 3-4 hours.  Stir in lemon juice, sherry, molasses, salt & pepper and cook on low for another 30 minutes.  Serve warm topped with scallions and a drizzle of vinegar.