Crockpot Turkey & Lentil Stew
Soup season is officially here, and there’s nothing better than a cozy meal that basically cooks itself! This Crockpot Turkey & Lentil Stew is comforting, packed with veggies, and loaded with protein and fiber. And all with minimal prep or clean up afterwards!
If you're anything like me, you love a meal that requires minimal prep or clean up afterwards! That's why I use crockpots to make stews, soups, and braised meats, because they save me a lot of time.
My favorite kitchen tools are
These gadgets make meal prepping more efficient and/or make hitting your nutrition goals easier!!
Lentils are the star of the show here! They are fiber rich & a good source of plant based protein!
So what's the big deal with fiber?
The first thing that comes to mind when speaking of fiber is ....💩
But there’s so much more to fiber than that!
Unlike carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, our bodies can’t fully digest fiber.
Instead, that fiber makes its way down to the gut. This is where the trillions of bacteria get to enjoy the fiber feast.
This type of fiber is known as soluble fiber...aka "pre-biotics"
Fun fact: You have more bacteria on you & inside of you, than human cells...so you’re never really alone 🤓
but I digress....
When these bacteria ferment soluble fiber, they produce a byproduct known as short chain fatty acids.
The byproduct of the fermentation is what gives US the benefit.
So we feed our gut, and it feeds us back...literally!
This helps nourish the cells lining your colon, support the gut barrier, support immune function, and play a role in regulating inflammation and metabolism.
Researchers are also continuing to study the connection between our gut microbiome and things like sleep, blood sugar regulation, appetite, and hormonal and metabolic health.
So when you hear the phrase “feed your gut,” there’s a lot of truth behind it.
Eating a variety of fiber-rich foods—like lentils, beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, helps feed the microbes that help support you.
Crockpot Turkey & Lentil Stew
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 6-7 hours
Yields: 6 servings
Ingredients
1 lb 93/7 ground turkey
1 cup of dried green lentils or 2 cups cooked
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth **
3 carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
½ cup black olives (optional)
3–4 cups fresh spinach or arugula
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Add the raw ground turkey to the bottom of the crockpot, breaking it into smaller chunks with a wooden spoon.
Add the lentils, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, black olives, vegetable broth, and all the seasonings. Stir everything together, breaking up the turkey as much as possible.
Cover and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the turkey is fully cooked and the lentils and vegetables are tender.
Once the turkey is cooked, use a wooden spoon to break it into smaller pieces throughout the stew.
Stir in the spinach during the last 20–30 minutes of cooking.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. If the stew is thicker than you'd like, add a splash of broth or water before serving.
**Notes:
Instead of vegetable broth, you can use 4 cups water + Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Base, prepared according to package directions
Nutrition per serving: 310 calories |25 gm Protein |28 gm carbohydrates |10 gm Fat | 9gm Fiber
Printable version:
Get 7 High Protein Meals that you can make in less than 15 minutes!
Comments