Tomato Lentil Stew With Crispy Potato

By Hetty Lui McKinnon

Updated Jan. 27, 2026

Tomato Lentil Stew With Crispy Potato
Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
5(1,174)
Comments
Read comments

This hearty one-pot stew makes the most out of kitchen staples thanks to some smart cooking strategies. Carrot, celery and onion are familiar vegetables for creating an aromatic base, but here, cutting them slightly larger gives them a more prominent presence and flavor in the stew. Thinly sliced potatoes are arranged on top, creating a protective covering that allows the lentils to become extra tender. Dill introduces a herbal perfume, but there’s room to substitute with whatever herbs you have on hand; parsley, cilantro or mint would each work well here. 

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced 
  • 2celery stalks, trimmed and thinly sliced 
  • 1medium carrot, scrubbed, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 1(28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes 
  • 2cups vegetable stock
  • 1½ cups green lentils
  • 3garlic cloves, roughly chopped 
  • 1teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 2small russet potatoes (about 12 ounces), scrubbed 
  • 5½ (lightly packed) cups chopped kale leaves (4 ounces, from about 1 small bunch)
  • ½ cup chopped dill, plus more for serving 
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

470 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 85 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 1328 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a medium Dutch oven or other ovenproof braising pot on medium-high. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, the onion, celery and carrot; season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to caramelize, 5 to 6 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add crushed tomatoes, stock, lentils, garlic, sugar and crushed red pepper; season well with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, thinly slice the potatoes, toss with olive oil until lightly coated and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

  4. Step 4

    Uncover the lentils and stir. Stir in the kale and dill, allowing the kale to wilt. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

  5. Step 5

    Arrange the sliced potatoes in a slightly overlapping, circular pattern over the lentils until completely covered. Drizzle with more olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

  6. Step 6

    Bake until the potatoes are tender and golden around the edges, about 25 minutes.

  7. Step 7

    Scatter with more dill and serve.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,174 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Cork

hello chefs of the new york times website. last night, on christmas eve, i made this dish, paying utmost attention to the recipe, meticulously, if you will. what i have to say may shock you: maybe the under the lid cooking part should be more like 25 minutes because the lentils were hard at the eotd (end of the day). maybe there should be less lentils, like a cup, per chance. maybe there should be more liquid, per chance a whole box o' stock. maybe there only needs to be one potato. delicious!

BJ

I cook lentils often. They should be cooked before the tomatoes are added and could be soaked first (and water discarded) before cooking to shorten the cooking time.

Naysayer61

@TN I almost always substitute spinach for kale, with no adverse effects other than a lighter texture. And I usually just toss in the whole bag (6oz)

Pia

Any type of lentils will benefit from a soak first Red lentils needs the least - max 15 mts and they will cook super fast and get squishy. Red lentils from The east are much firmer and less starchy than the ones from Canada Green lentils could do with about 20-30 mt soak

Sari

If following recipe meticulously, there isn’t enough liquid to cook the lentils nor enough time to cook them properly. To avoid eating semi-cooked lentils I think you need to pre-cook the lentils with plenty of water.

Drevik W.

If you follow the recipe as written, the lentils will be pretty crunchy still. They need at least double the cooking time, and also benefit from presoaking. In other words, the overall cook time, including both stovetop and oven steps, should be 55-60 minutes. There's no way to shortcut that unless you precook the lentils or do this in a pressure cooker. Other than that, this is delicious! I used arugula and spinach in addition to kale.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.