Curried Lentil Stew with Poached Egg

Last week was a rainy, dreary, rainy, cold, and-did-I-mention rainy, week in Chicago. This type of weather always leaves me craving something hot and hearty, with plenty of spice.

One of my favorite rainy day meals is curried lentil stew. It's filling without being heavy, and brings so much warmth and spice that it's easy to forget the weather. I like to put a poached egg on top to add some protein and richness, but it also goes well with a little added meat (great use for leftover chicken!).


Curried Lentil Stew with Poached Egg

1 cup dry lentils
2 cups water
1 cup chicken stock
1 can whole tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbs yellow curry powder
Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 egg
Seasoned salt

Combine the lentils, water, and stock into a large pot. Bring to a boil.

Rough chop the whole tomatoes, and reserve the remaining liquid in the can separately.

Add all vegetable ingredients to the pot, and turn down to a simmer. Add 1/2 the juice from the can of tomatoes. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Remove lid, add curry powder and salt and pepper. Cook uncovered to reduce the liquid. Taste and adjust spices as necessary. Also add liquid if the stew becomes too thick.

In a separate pan, poach an egg. I generally put 1 inch of water in a shallow pan, crack an egg in a ramekin, and place the ramekin in the pot and bring to a boil, covered. 2 minutes for just the whites to be cooked, 3 minutes for a semi-firm yolk.

When the lentils are cooked and the liquid is partially reduced, serve in a large bowl. Top with the poached egg, and sprinkle with a touch of seasoned salt.