Lentil mushroom stew

Ingredients

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• 6 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut in ½-inch coins
• 2 cups sliced parsnips (about 2 medium), in ½-inch coins
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup dry brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 1 cup no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes, with their juice
• 5 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups packed baby spinach
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 425 °F. Toss the mushrooms, carrots and parsnips on a large rimmed sheet pan with 1 tbsp of the oil. Roast 30 minutes, stirring once, until the edges are browned and the mushrooms have shrunk by half.
2. 2While they roast, warm the remaining 1 tbsp oil in a big pot over medium heat. Cook the onion 6 to 8 minutes, until soft and just turning golden.
3. 3Stir in the garlic powder, tomato paste, thyme, rosemary and smoked paprika. Cook 1 minute, until the paste darkens a shade.
4. 4Add the lentils, the tomatoes with their juice, the water and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a steady simmer. Cover with the lid cracked. At 5,300 ft water boils near 203 °F, so lentils take about a quarter longer, 31 to 38 minutes, not the 25 to 30 on a sea-level package.
5. 5When the lentils are tender but still hold their shape, stir in the roasted vegetables, scraping the pan with a spoon so the browned bits go in too. Simmer 10 minutes, uncovered, until the stew is thick.
6. 6Take out the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the salt, pepper and vinegar. Taste; a few more drops of vinegar brighten it before more salt does.
7. 7Cool in shallow containers within 2 hours, then refrigerate. Reheat leftovers to a boil, stirring, or to 165 °F. Freezes in 2-cup tubs for 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge (our kitchen practice; we hold no published source for it yet).