Healthy-sweet potato and lentil stew

I think my favorite part of cold weather is eating stews and soups. I don’t know if I am a lazy eater or what, but having an entire meal in one bowl is so appealing to me. And when the soup/stew creates leftovers, this is a bonus to me. This recipe is full of veggies that I had and it was a complete meal full of lentil protein and veggie vitamins. I made a quick batch of “beer bread” with it to offset the healthiness of this recipe. In case you are wondering, beer bread is easy to whip up, does not include yeast, but instead includes, among other things, butter, white flour, and a can of beer.

Sweet Potato and Lentil Stew
Serves 6
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium celery ribs, chopped (I added another carrot instead of celery)
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 package (9 ounces) frozen cut green beans
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (I omitted)
Coarse salt and black pepper
Plain low-fat yogurt, for serving

Directions
1.In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
2.Add 7 cups of water and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Add potatoes and continue to cook, covered, until lentils and potato are just tender, about 15 minutes.
3.Add green beans and tomatoes with juice. Cook until warmed through, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Serve with yogurt.
This is from wholeliving.com