Savory Potato and Pear Stew

This stew was inspired by a vacation - it was time to clear out the fridge, stoke up on immune boosting beta-carotene, and have left-overs in the freezer for a hearty meal when returning.
Ingredients
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, cut into match-sticks
3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 cup red lentils
2 T fresh rosemary, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 T jalapeno pepper, minced
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp black pepper
2 pears, chopped into match-stick
Preparation
In a 7-quart pot, sauté the carrots, garlic and onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes. If needed, add water or vegetable broth to keep vegetables from sticking.
Add all of the remaining ingredients, except pears. Bring to a boil, cover, and lower heat. Simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
Add pears and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.
Additional Tips
From the recipe collection of Katherine Lawrence, of www.plantbasedhealth.com f.