To make this quicker to prepare, soak lentils in water for at least 4 hours.
1. When ready to make, boil the lentils in a large saucepan or a pot with all 4 cups of broth. Cook on medium heat. Keep an eye on the lentils, cooking them until soft (not until mushy!), adding more water if necessary. About 30 minutes.
2. In the meantime, while waiting for the lentils to finish, chop up all the vegetables (mushrooms, carrots, bell pepper, onion, and garlic), put all of them in a glass or nonstick baking pan. Drizzle vegetables generously with olive oil.
3. Place vegetables in an 350 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on the temperature accuracy of your oven). Halfway through baking time, remove the vegetables from oven to flip them, then put them in for the remaining time left.
4. When lentils are nearly ready, add all the spices and stir.
5. Mix in vegetables when prepared, drizzle entire thing with a little more olive oil (adds moisture to the dryness of lentils), and eat!
Best served over rice, as rice makes lentils a complete protein. Goes wonderfully with white basmati rice, jasmine brown rice, or a wild rice blend. Bon appetit!
Source of recipe: I made up this recipe based off a simple lentils with onion dish my mom made when I was a growing up. I added more vegetables to make it healthy, and lots of spices to give it the ethnic food edge that I always love.