Lentil & Leek Pot with Curry, Seasonal Apples & lots of Cabbage

I am a total foodie, as you all know.

I love all kinds of food from all kinds of cultures, all kinds of cuisines, and all kinds of flavors.

The only downside to this is that sometimes I find myself stuck and uninspired when it comes to the age-old question, “What are we going to have for dinner?”

It’s weird. I spend so much time thinking about, planning, and looking at food, and yet I still find myself in this predicament.

Having a regularly updated archive of my favorite recipes is one of the best things about this blog.

Not only do I hope to inspire all of you with my pictures, love stories, and creative recipes. I also end up inspiring myself.

I’ve had fewer “food blackouts” since I started this blog. I hope you have too.

Check out my list of favorite food blogs on the right side of my homepage if you’re looking for more inspiration.

I wanted to share a recipe that I will never forget in honor of all the great recipes out there.

It’s a recipe filled with memories, love, and friendship. It’s also filled with amazing flavors and seasonal ingredients.

This recipe dates back four years. It was the first time I tried it.

It’s super easy to make, which is one of the best things about this dish.

You can make a double portion and have food for several days. Or you can freeze it for later.

It’s also incredibly inexpensive to make.

You can make a meat version, like I usually do, or make it vegetarian by substituting extra lentils for the meat.

It’s healthy. It’s gluten-free, grain-free, very low in calories, and still satisfying.

In all seriousness, what’s not to love about this dish?

The main ingredients are cabbage, leeks, apples, and lentils. They’re all in season, so they’re cheap and readily available.

Taking a few minutes to adjust the flavors to your liking is the key to getting this dish just right.

You may need to add more salt, vinegar, curry, etc. because the flavors of the ingredients and the broth can vary a bit.

It’s all a matter of finding the right balance for your own taste buds.

I’ve included the recipe and measurements according to my preferences. It’s up to you to make the final adjustments.

I hope that you’re going to love this dish as much as I do.

Print Pin
5 from 1 vote

Lentil & Leek Pot

Lentil & Leek Pot with Curry, Seasonal Apples & lots of Cabbage
Course Main Course
Servings 4
Calories 278kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ big white cabbage or one small
  • 3 leeks
  • 2 apple
  • 1 cup green lentils uncooked
  • 400 g low fat minced beef If vegetarian substitute with 1 additional cup of lentils
  • 2.5 cup broth, beef or vegetable
  • 2 tbsp curry
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 3 tbsp apples vinegar
  • oil
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp corn starch
  • Extra seasoning: coriander, cumin I have included a lentil and garlic topping, which is optional, see the directions..

Instructions

  • Boil lentils in generous amounts of water (you can use a light vegetable broth to add taste). Cook for about 20-25 min, until the lentils crack a little bit. Drain and set a side.
  • Rinse leeks, cabbage and apples. Remove the dark green part of the leeks. Slice them into semi thin rings. Cut the cabbage, it is okay to do this semi roughly. And at last cut the apple in square bites.
  • Heat oil in a large pot. Add curry and cook for about a minute until fragrant. If you use meat, add this and cook until browned. If the bottom of the pot gets dry add a little water to moisten things up. Then add the leeks and stir for a few more minutes. The cabbage goes in too, and you should stir around until it starts collapsing a bit. Then add the broth, vinegar and salt, stir, turn down the heat and put on a lit. It should simmer for about 30-40 min, until the cabbage is tender and yellow from the curry.
  • To make the lentil and garlic topping; Use about 1/4 of the cooked lentils (1/8 if you make it vegetarian).  Heat some oil in a skillet, and add lentils and m ´garlic. Stir for a few minutes and set aside. Season to taste.
  • Now that the cabbage and lentil pot is almost done, add the rest of the lentils and the diced apples, stir around and let it simmer for 5 more minutes. It is here where you season to taste. Use extra coriander, cumin, vinegar, concentrated broth, salt etc. to make it just perfect.
  • Dissolve the corn starch in water, and add it to the dish and let it boil quickly – this is done in order to add a little thickness to the sauce. Remove from heat.
  • Serve the dish straight away, and top it with some garlic roasted lentils…Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 1762mg | Potassium: 688mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 2362IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 5mg