- 1 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 3 cups water
- 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 cup frozen peas
- In a small bowl combine the shiitake mushrooms and boiling water. Let stand until the mushrooms are softened, about 20 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and reserve the liquid. Trim any stems from the mushrooms and thinly slice the caps. Strain the reserved liquid through a fine-meshed sieve or coffee filter. Set aside.
- In a large saucepan heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and garlic, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, tomatoes, salt, cumin, ginger, sage, mushrooms, and reserved liquid. Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover and cook until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sugar; cook, stirring frequently until the onion is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the peas to the stew and cook for 2 minutes to heat through. Serve the stew topped with the browned onions.