Slow cooker Turkey Lentil Stew

The slow cooker is an essential kitchen tool. A little bit of prep work, set it and forget it, dinner is ready when you come back. Be it a work day, play day or even overnight. It’s extremely versatile, it’s really amazing what you can cook. In this particular case, some turkey meat and lentils, they make a hearty combination. Slow cooker turkey lentil stew is on the menu tonight, at it is delicious.

Originally sold in the 50’s as a bean cooker, it replaced the Dutch Oven that would work on the stovetop or in the oven. The metal outer housing held the heating elements and the inner, removable ceramic pot was a gamechanger with ease of cleaning ant transportation. Hence the original name “Crock Pot”. because it cooks slowly, it allows the flavors to develop, so the end result is more than just the sum of it’s ingredients.

Stews are an easy meal in the slow cooker. The prep is pretty simple, and, the cooking process is handled by the slow cooker itself. I have a whole section for slow cooker meals. The basic building block is always going to be aromatics, a mirepoix, they create a savory base. In this case onion, garlic and carrots, all diced. Now the protein. In this case turkey thigh. Not all meats can be cooked for hours inn a slow cooker. When it comes to turkey, the dark meat is the only way to go. The muscles of the legs and thighs are “working muscles”, the meat is a little tougher, slightly higher fat content. That makes the dark meat perfect for a long slow cook. Remove the skin and bone and, cut into 1″ cubes.

Now for the seasoning. The individual ingredients will bring a lot to the dish, between the aromatics in the mirepoix and the other vegetables, I can keep it pretty simple. Some Badia Season All, kosher salt, coarse ground pepper and parsley will suffice, They can be sprinkled over the meat. I like to add my seasonings in the middle layers, they are held there by the other ingredients and their flavors spread better during the cooking process.

Now for the rest. Celery, leek, mushrooms, rutabaga all bring individual flavor notes. Lentils are a superfood, high in protein and essential nutrients, they definitely make the stew hearty and healthy. And, finally, chicken stock. There are options here, regular or low sodium, and, you could use vegetable stock if you like. The most important thing is to use stock, it adds more depth of flavor to the stew, and, I prefer to just plain water. Add enough to cover the ingredients, in my slow cooker, that’s about 4 cups.

Now, put the lid on, set the slow cooker to low, and walk away for at least 8 hrs. This could cook during the day while you work, or go out, it can be overnight while you sleep, just let it do it’s thing. When you come back, the house smells delicious, and the food is amazing. Allow to cool before serving, garnish as you like, I know you’ll enjoy your slow cooker turkey lentil stew. Thank you for reading