Confession: I did not mean for this to be a stew.
Hello! How was your weekend? I’m here to share with you an almost “Claire-Fails” worthy recipe. Except that my almost “fail” turned into a gigantic WIN!
It all started when I got a new blender a few weeks ago. Ever since I got my Oster Versa, I have been blending everything in sight. Daily green smoothies, PB&B milkshakes, and lately, salad dressing!
Occasionally I make stuffed mushrooms using this filling, which requires pulsing a few times in the food processor to chop up the veggies and herbs before stuffing the mushrooms. Usually I add chickpeas just at the end to chop them up a bit and make them go a little further in the mixture. Same thing with a blender, right?
Not so much.
What I imagined to be a nice chunky dressing with some chopped-up tomatoes and chickpeas became, well, soup. Maybe it was because the mouth of the blender is smaller and doesn’t incorporate as well during the pulsing? Either way, I ended up with a less-than-appetizing looking salad.
That’s when you call it what it is! Salad stew! Once I decided that this was going to be more like a thick green gazpacho, it became much more appealing. I decided to add a few peaches for extra sweetness, and green peas for more texture.
- 1 cup lentils
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 + 2 tbsp EVOO (divided)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 red onion, minced (divided)
- 1 bunch fresh Italian parsley, rinsed
- 1 tbsp tahini
- juice of one lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp each salt and pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp whole grain dijon mustard
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup peas
- 2 small peaches, diced
- goat cheese (optional)
- zucchini shreds (optional)
- Add 4 cups salted water to lentils and quinoa in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water immediately.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic, 1/4 cup red onion, and mushrooms. Cook until fork tender and remove from heat.
- In a blender or food processor, make the dressing by combining parsley through mustard, plus 2 tbsp of olive oil and remaining onion. Pulse on high until smooth, about 1 minute. Pour about half of mixture into mason jar or airtight container (can be frozen or stored in refrigerator for 3-4 weeks).
- Add the chickpeas and tomatoes to blender with remaining dressing. Pulse 3-4 times until chopped roughly (I like mine chunky so I made sure not to overpulse).
- Combine lentils, quinoa, mushroom mixture, and contents of blender to a large bowl or serving dish. Stir in peas and peaches. Add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve over spinach or grated zucchini with goat cheese and a little drizzle of olive oil over the top! This stew is also great with crusty bread!
Healthy, fiber-licious and lots of protein in this one. I served it over greens and zucchini noodles, with a little baked tofu for extra protein. You could eat it as a main dish like me or as a side- but you might be surprised at just how filling it is!
Claire Tastes 
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