This lentil stew recipe has a nice smokiness from the paprika and richness from the savory broth. Served with vegan cornbread, this is hearty Lentil Stew A quick one-pot weeknight meal in under 30 minutes.
Comfort food comes in many forms and lentil stew is one of my favorites. What I love about this simple lentil stew recipe is that it’s packed with lentils and vegetables in a thick, rich smoky broth. Served with sweet vegan cornbread, this weeknight meal is a definite crowd pleaser.
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Nutritional value of lentils
Lentils Over 25% is made up of protein, making them an excellent meat substitute. They are also a great source of ironA mineral sometimes lacking in vegetarian diets.
Although different types of lentils can vary slightly in their nutritional content, 1 cup (198 grams) of cooked lentils generally provides the following:
- Calories: 230
- Sugars: 39.9 grams
- Protein: 17.9 grams
- Fat: 0.8 grams
- Fiber: 15.6 grams
- Thiamine: 28% of DV
- Niacin: 13% of DV
- Vitamin B6: 21% of DV
- Folate: 90% of DV
- Pantothenic Acid: 25% of DV
- Iron: 37% of DV
- Magnesium: 17% of DV
- Phosphorus: 28% of DV
- Potassium: 16% of DV
- Zinc: 23% of DV
- Copper: 55% of DV
- Manganese: 43% of DV
Lentils are high in fiber, which helps with regular bowel movements and the growth of healthy gut bacteria. As a result, eating lentils can increase the weight of your stool and improve your overall bowel function.
In addition, lentils contain many beneficial plant compounds called phytochemicals, many of which protect against chronic diseases such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Lentil Stew Ingredients
- Garlic: I like to use minced fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Carrots: Carrots are sweet and slightly crunchy in a lentil stew.
- White Onion: White onion has a strong flavor, but when fried, it caramelizes and becomes sweet.
- Celery: Celery adds freshness and a crunchy texture similar to carrots.
- Vegetable Broth: I buy a lot of vegetable broth at Costco.
- Cumin: Cumin has a warm, earthy flavor profile.
- Brown Lentils: I rinsed the dry brown lentils and scooped out any debris or dirt.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste gives the stew broth a deep rich flavor.
- Pepper: Cayenne pepper provides a bit of heat and depth of flavor.
- Smoked Paprika: Regular paprika consists of powdered dried chilies. Smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried peppers that have been dried over an oak fire before being ground into powder.
- during: Kale is a hearty green that wilts when added to hot stews at the end of cooking.
- Baby Potatoes (optional): This time I added baby potatoes for a heartier stew. This is an optional component. If you like the stew thinner, leave out the potatoes.
Substitute lentil stew ingredients
- A clove of garlic is equal to about ⅛ of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Choose any type of parsnip to replace carrots in the recipe.
- Yellow onions are an excellent alternative to white onions.
- Fennel resembles celery in texture; However, fennel has a licorice flavor, which some people enjoy.
- Using Yondu Lentil stew recipe uses vegetable broth mixed with water.
- Coriander tastes like cumin.
- Try green lentils, which have a similar texture to brown lentils. Red lentils, however, break down during cooking and are often used for thin, pure soups.
- If you don’t have tomato paste, try using 2 to 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce for every tablespoon of tomato paste. In recipes that call for a lot of paste, boil it to reduce it by half before adding it to the sauce mixture.
- Rd pepper flakes are similar to red pepper. If you are sensitive to spices, omit this ingredient.
- Use regular paprika and add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to simulate the smoke missing from smoked paprika.
- Collard greens or spinach are alternatives to kale in lentil stews.
- Leave out or add potatoes, whichever you prefer.
How to make lentil stew
One of my favorite aspects of this recipe is that it’s all cooked in one pot, which means only one pot to clean. And I’m all about easy prep and cleanup.
Start cooking the garlic, onion, celery and carrot until the onion is translucent. It’s called mirepoix, coined by the French, to mean a flavor base for cooking onions, celery and carrots cut into the same size.
Add the seasoning to the onion, carrot and celery.
Next, add the tomato paste and dried brown lentils and stir to combine.
Next, add the vegetable stock and potatoes, if using. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove the lid and stir to coat. Kale dries out when mixed into a hot stew.
Serving advice
I recommend serving this rich lentil stew with sweet vegan cornbread or crunchy crusty bread.
And don’t forget a big hearty salad like chopped kale salad, vegan nicoise salad, or chopped vegan Greek salad.
I like to add some parsley over the lentil stew for extra freshness.
Recipe FAQs
Lentil stew is a thick lentil soup made with legumes as its base. Often a vegetarian or vegan recipe, this gluten-free stew is low in total fat and includes good carbohydrates and plenty of protein.
Lentils are not necessary but can be soaked to cut the cooking time in half. Before cooking, rinse the lentils in cold water, pick them up to remove any debris or shriveled lentils, then drain.
It’s best to be safe and wash and taste them before cooking because no one wants to bite into a stone and break a tooth. So please follow these tips: Wash the lentils well in a colander to remove any debris and check them to make sure there are no hidden stones stuck between the lentils.
advice
- Wash the lentils and pick them to make sure there are no stones. Remove any unwanted debris.
- For a thinner stew, add vegetable broth or skip the potatoes, which absorb a lot of liquid.
- Cut the vegetables in equal sizes so that they cook evenly.
- Remove the stem from the kale and cut into bite-sized pieces that match the size of the vegetables in the stew.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, add a teaspoon or two of liquid smoke.
- I recommend using Super Cube Freeze leftover stew
- To freeze, make sure the stew is at room temperature or refrigerated before freezing.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen lentil stew overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. You may need to add a little vegetable broth to the thawed stew before reheating.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy hearty weeknight meal, give this lentil stew recipe a try!
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📖 Recipe
Lentil Stew
This lentil stew recipe has a nice smokiness from the paprika and richness from the savory broth. Served with vegan cornbread, this is hearty Lentil Stew A quick one-pot weeknight meal in under 30 minutes.
instructions
Saute garlic, onion, carrot and celery in a Dutch oven or large soup pot until onion is translucent.
Add smoked paprika, cayenne and cumin. Stir to combine.
Add dry brown lentils and tomato paste.
Stir to combine.
If using potatoes, add them now and stir into the mixture.
Add vegetable broth.
Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the temperature to a simmer.
Cook for 30 minutes.
Remove the cover and stir the chopped bananas. Kale wilts when added to a hot stew.
Garnish with parsley.
Serve with cornbread or crusty bread.
Comment
- Wash the lentils and pick them to make sure there are no stones. Remove any unwanted debris.
- For a thinner stew, add vegetable broth or skip the potatoes, which absorb a lot of liquid.
- Cut the vegetables in the same size, so that they cook evenly.
- Remove the stem from the kale and cut into bite-sized pieces that match the size of the vegetables in the stew.
- If you don’t have smoked paprika, add a teaspoon or two of liquid smoke.
- I recommend using Super Cube Freeze leftover stew
- To freeze, make sure the stew is at room temperature or refrigerated before freezing.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen lentil stew overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. You may need to add a little vegetable broth to the thawed stew before reheating.
nutrition
Worship: 6gCalories: 1533kcalSugars: 270gProtein: 104gFat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fats: 1gSodium: 396mgPotassium: 4641mgFiber: 123gSugar: 29gVitamin A: 8404IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 315mgIron: 36mg
Oh! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher and vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is completely plant-based vegan. I truly believe that what we eat and how we live determines our health and the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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