At the moment it means: Strengthen your immune system! Until the wet and cold season begins, we all want to do something for the immune system, right? Nothing easier than that, because natural foods are real immune boosters. At the same time they have many healing effects. So when the first scratching in your throat is actually approaching, you can also do a lot to strengthen your immune system by choosing the right food.
By the way, the current season is perfect for this. Autumn, with its wide range of seasonal vegetables, has everything we need to stay fit, strong and healthy.
Stews – Immune booster
I am often asked how to get the recommended 5-6 portions of vegetables (and fruit) a day. This is also a topic in autumn/winter. Especially when there isn’t much time left for cooking in everyday life. Here stews are the right aids in everyday life. I have stews at home on a regular basis. We all love them. The nice thing about it is that they are made quickly and you can “hide” an incredible amount of vegetables in a stew. This makes it easy for you to get the 5-6 portions of vegetables. Moreover, stews simply taste incredibly delicious. I really hope that no one now shares the opinion that stews are boring or even bland. I certainly don’t think so, and with this recipe I would like to convince you once more of the contrary.
I’ve always liked stews. As far as preparation and variations are concerned, I learned a lot from my grandmother and took over a lot. I remember that she had stews on a regular basis. Always prepared with seasonal vegetables, of course. My grandmother already knew what was good at that time.
Colourful lentil stew – a classic reinterpreted.
A colourful lentil stew cooked with seasonal vegetables and many beneficial spices and herbs is nutritious, warming, easily digestible, satiating and exactly what we need to go strengthened into the next season.
The good old lentil stew… It should be familiar to all of us, right? As much as I love stews, the classic lentil stew version with bacon and sausages has never been mine. Somehow I always lacked taste and the necessary variety of flavours.
That’s why I interpreted the old classic a little more “modern”. That’s what you could call the recipe for this colourful lentil stew. For the preparation, I was inspired by the wide range of seasonal vegetables available. In addition to lentils (mountain lentils), carrots, tomatoes, celery, peppers and spinach provide a colourful variety. It doesn’t just look pretty in colour, it also puts you in a good mood on your plate.
And don’t worry… You don’t have to knit to these ingredients if you don’t like one of them. Simply exchange them for another vegetable. Let yourself be inspired by the colourful range on the market and decide as you please, because what the recipe really represents in the end is the variety of herbs and spices. Herbs and spices are so incredibly good for our health. It would be a pity not to use them every day in the kitchen. The nice thing about cooking is that herbs and spices can always be put together differently and so in the end completely new aromas and taste creations are created. So I cooked this stew with cloves and cinnamon among other things. This gives it an incredibly soft aroma, which may even have something slightly oriental about it. Let yourself be convinced, because not only cinnamon and cloves are contained, but many other spices and (healing) herbs, which make the recipe a real immune booster.
Cloves
Cloves contain a lot of essential oil and taste slightly sweet and peppery in food. Did you know that clove oil is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory? Clove oil is even considered to be the strongest radical catcher among spices. I always use cloves in stews or porridge as whole cloves. In 2010, the clove tree was one of the medicinal plants of the year. And justifiably so, because cloves contain a high content of phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which protect our cells from free radicals. In addition, they have an antibacterial and digestive effect.
Bay Leaf
The tannins contained in bay leaf promote digestion. Bay leaf is said to help with concentration disorders and contain substances that relax the body and mind. In soups and stews I usually use dried bay leaves and leave them in a dish for about 20 minutes.
Onions and garlic
Both have antioxidant properties. Both are supposed to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. In addition, their essential oils have a disinfectant, antibiotic and antiseptic effect, which is why they are often recommended as a natural remedy for inflammatory diseases such as coughs and colds.
Chilis
Due to the capsaicin they contain, chillies have a blood circulation-promoting property. Those who like to flavor and eat spicy will strengthen their health and should even live longer according to studies.
Curcuma
I have written so many articles about curcuma. Curcuma should never be missing in a stew and also not in my kitchen. Why ? You can read that again here.
What do you think about the interaction of the individual ingredients? And do you also use healing spices to strengthen your immune system?
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is my absolute favourite spice in the kitchen. I use cinnamon for both savoury and sweet dishes. Cinnamon has an antibacterial and antiviral effect, promotes digestive enzymes and contains substances that lower blood sugar and blood fat levels. In addition, cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressant and sweetens food in a natural way. I like to use cinnamon savoury in stews and tomato sauces.
Colourful lentil stew | With seasonal vegetables, spices & herbs {vegan}
Zutaten
- 500 g mountain lentils
- 2-3 celery sticks
- 3 carrots
- 2-3 Tomatoes
- 1 red pepper
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 onion
- 1 handful fresh leaf spinach
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 800 ml vegetable broth
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 1 pinch of cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 2-3 cloves whole
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small red chilli pepper
- 1 bunch parsley
- 1 lime
- 200 ml cashew cream or plant drink of your choice
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Anleitung
- Wash the vegetables and cut the celery, carrots and peppers into slices. Quarter tomatoes and remove stalk, wash leaf spinach.
- Peel onions and garlic and cut into cubes. Halve the chilli pepper, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips. Heat coconut oil in a pan and fry onions and garlic until translucent. Add the chilli strips and sauté briefly. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, lentils, carrots, red peppers and vegetable stock. Add paprika powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves and the bay leaf and simmer for about 15 minutes at medium heat.
- Add coconut milk and spinach just before the end of cooking. Season the stew with salt and pepper and lime juice. If necessary, add some liquid (water, vegetable stock, coconut milk), if necessary. Finally top with chopped parsley.
