Lentil-vegetable-kielbasa Slow Cooker Stew

Total Time: 10 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 10 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 10
• 3 cups water
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (try the kind with green peppers or onions or garlic already added)
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
• 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lb dried lentils, rinsed and drained with any stones removed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 4 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 large red potatoes, cubed
• 1 (24 ounce) can seasoned mustard greens or 1 (24 ounce) can turnip greens or 1 (24 ounce) can kale
• 1 lb light pre-cooked kielbasa, sliced (optional)
• salt and black pepper

Recipe

• 1 combine water, tomatoes with juice, tomato paste, red wine, basil, thyme, bay leaf, crush red peeper in slow cooker.
• 2 stir to blend.
• 3 add lentils, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, greens and kielbasa.
• 4 cover.
• 5 cook on low 10-12 hours or on high 4-5 hours.
• 6 remove bay leaf, and serve with chopped basil, parsley, hot sauce or sour cream garnish (or any combination of these).
• 7 note: i prefer to add the canned greens and kielbasa in the last hour of cooking, but if you don't have time for that, just throw everything together in the slow cooker and forget about it until dinnertime!