Spiced Lentils with Cauliflower and Sauteed Spinach

This is a dish that I make often, switching up the veggies and the spices depending on what I have on hand. For this meal, I had half a cauliflower head fresh from a nearby farm and a pile of baby spinach.

I finely chopped a sweet onion and coarsely chopped the cauliflower. I sauteed the onion in a little coconut oil in a medium-sized pot (mine is a 4 quart size) until it just started to brown then added the cauliflower, a couple of teaspoons of turmeric, about a teaspoon of ginger, a couple of minced garlic cloves, a pinch of cumin seeds, and a bay leaf.

About a cup and a half of red lentils, a quart of veggie broth, and a few tablespoons of coconut cream were then added to the pot. I brought the broth to a boil, covered the pot, and turned the heat down and let it gently simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the lentils were simmering away, I sauteed some minced garlic (another 3 or so cloves, use less if you aren’t as garlic obsessed as I am!) in a little bit of coconut oil in a small skillet for a few minutes then added the spinach and took it off the heat as soon as it started wilting.

To serve, I scooped some of the lentils into a bowl and then topped it with some of the garlic spinach. If you aren’t keeping this dish vegan, it is also delicious with a scoop of plain greek yogurt or a fried egg on top. Dig in and enjoy!