Vegan Lentil Stew

Whenever I’m craving something warm, hearty, and packed with flavor, I make this easy Lentil Stew recipe. It’s totally vegan and is just as rich and satisfying as any classic meaty stew. I combine tender lentils, a mix of veggies, and aromatic herbs to create a thick, cozy stew that’s perfect for soaking up with crusty bread. I’ve even eaten a bowl of this for breakfast before. My want for this hearty lentil stew knows no boundaries.

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“Amazing!! My family loved and and went for thirds! Even my picky 8 year old went for more. Thank you!”

Claudia

Easy Lentil Stew Recipe

I had been craving beef stew but felt like I’d been eating a bit more meat than usual lately, so I decided to try to craft something just as rich and hearty without meat. I actually modeled this lentil stew recipe after my slow cooker beef stew, but I made a few substitutions to make it 100% plant-based. The medley of vegetables and herbs creates a seriously thick, flavorful, and comforting stew.

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Lentil Stew Recipe

4.89 from 196 votes

A rich and hearty medley of vegetables, lentils, and herbs makes this freezer-friendly Vegan Lentil Stew the perfect cold-weather comfort food. 

Servings 8 1.5 cups each

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 50 minutes mins

Total 1 hour hr

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Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
• 4 cloves garlic ($0.16)
• 4 carrots (about 1/2 lb.) ($0.49)
• 4 stalks celery ($0.94)
• 2 lbs potatoes ($1.42)
• 1 cup brown lentils* ($0.59)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary ($0.10)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme ($0.05)
• 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.12)
• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.07)
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.03)
• 6 cups vegetable broth** ($0.78)
• 1 cup frozen peas ($0.56)

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Instructions 

• Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic to a large soup pot and begin to sauté over medium heat.
• While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice the celery, then add it to the pot and continue to sauté. As the celery, onion, and garlic are sautéing, peel and chop the carrots into half rounds. Add the carrots to the pot and continue to sauté.
• As the onion, garlic, celery, and carrots are sautéing, peel and cube the potatoes into 3/4 to 1-inch pieces. Add the cubed potatoes to the pot along with the lentils, rosemary, thyme, Dijon, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vegetable broth.
• Briefly stir the ingredients to combine, then place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring the stew up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Toward the end of the simmer time, when the potatoes are very soft, begin to mash the potatoes a bit as you stir. This will help thicken the stew.
• Finally, after 30 minutes, stir in the frozen peas and allow them to heat through. Taste the stew and add salt if needed (this will depend on the salt content of your broth, I did not add any extra). Serve hot and enjoy!

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Notes

*Lentils are what make this stew so thick and hearty. They provide a ton of fiber and other nutrients yet are super budget-friendly! I use brown or green lentils (not French green lentils), which cook quickly, in about 20 minutes, with no soaking needed. Canned lentils wouldn’t work the same in this recipe.

**The broth provides tons of complex flavor and an appealing stew-like brown color. The type of broth used will definitely impact the flavor of your stew, so I suggest using Better Than Bouillon. You can also use chicken or beef broth if preferred.

• A Note on the Vegetables Used: A medley of vegetables adds flavor, color, and texture to this hearty stew. I use carrots, celery, potatoes, and green peas, but you could also try other vegetables like mushrooms, parsnips, or turnips!

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5CupsCalories: 249.2kcalCarbohydrates: 45.91gProtein: 9.88gFat: 3.99gSodium: 964.61mgFiber: 7.86g

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Video

How to Make Lentil Stew – Step by Step Photos

Sauté the onion: Begin by dicing one yellow onion and mincing four cloves of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a large soup pot. Sauté over medium heat.

Sauté the veggies: While the onion and garlic are sautéing, dice or slice 4 stalks celery (depending on how chunky you want your stew). Add the celery to the pot and continue to sauté. Peel and chop four carrots into half-rounds, add them to the pot, and continue to sauté.

Add the lentils: While the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic are sautéing, peel and cube 2 lbs. potatoes into 3/4 to 1-inch cubes. Add the potatoes to the pot along with 1 cup brown lentils, 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 Tbsp Dijon mustard, 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar.

Simmer: Finally, add 6 cups vegetable broth to the pot and give everything a brief stir. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to high, and bring it up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 3o minutes, stirring occasionally.

Finish and serve: Toward the end of the simmer time, when the potatoes are very soft, begin to mash them a bit against the side of the pot as you stir. This will thicken the stew. After 30 minutes, add 1 cup frozen peas, and allow them to heat through. Finally, taste the stew and add salt if needed (I did not add any salt because the broth I used had enough).

Serving Suggestions

This hearty lentil stew is truly a complete meal in a bowl that is packed with nutrients. I wouldn’t typically serve a side dish with lentil stew, but I do love some of my homemade no-knead bread for sopping up all that delicious gravy. Come to think of it, a side of garlic bread would also be delicious. Or maybe even some dumplings simmered in the stew until light and fluffy…now I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! (I’d use the dumplings in my chicken and dumplings recipe here).

How to Store and Reheat Lentil Stew

This stew will stay good in the refrigerator for up to five days. To reheat, simply microwave until hot or place in a saucepot and heat over medium-low, stirring frequently, until heated through.

To freeze this stew, I suggest dividing it into single portions, cooling it completely in the refrigerator overnight, and then transferring it to the freezer. And don’t forget, always label and date your freezer food! The stew will stay good in the freezer for about three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating, or use the defrost function on a microwave.

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