Sweet Potato Lentil Stew

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add a splash of water and saute the diced onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent. Stir in the carrot and celery cook a few more minutes until softened.
• Add the garlic and give it a good stir before adding the spices: cumin, smoked paprika, coriander, onion powder, turmeric and bay leaf.
• Meanwhile rinse the lentils then add them into the pot. Cover with the veggie stock or water and bring to a simmer. Cook covered on low flame for 30 minutes.
• Taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black paper then add the sweet potatoes to the stew. Cook another 10 to 15 minutes until softened. Discard bay leaf.
• Ladle about 1/3 of the stew into  a blender and puree until smooth. Add it back into the pot with the stew and stir to combine. If the stew is too thick for your liking just add more water or veggie stock to stretch it out a bit. Remember to adjust seasonings.
• Add the kale or spinach and cook just a couple of minutes until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in some red wine vinegar or a hit of lime to balance out the flavors. Serve hot with spicy chili flakes on top.

  Note: If you want to turn it into more of a soup rather than a stew, simply add more veggie stock and adjust seasonings.

Crock Pot Method:

• Add all the ingredients to your crock pot and cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours. Discard bay leaf, remove about 1/3 of the soup and carefully transfer to a powerful blender. Puree until smooth and add back into the stew. Taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black pepper.