This vegan lentil stew recipe has a nice smokiness from the paprika and richness from the savory broth. Served with vegan cornbread, this hearty vegan lentil stew is a one-pot quick weeknight meal in under 35 minutes.
Comfort food comes in many forms, and lentil stew is one of my favorites. What I love about this simple vegan lentil stew recipe is it's packed with lentils and vegetables in a thick, rich, smokey broth. Served with sweet vegan cornbread, this weeknight meal is a definite crowd-pleaser.
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Lentils Nutritional Benefits
Lentils are made up of more than 25% protein, which makes them an excellent meat alternative. They’re also a great source of iron, a mineral sometimes lacking in vegetarian diets.
Though different types of lentils may vary slightly in their nutrient content, 1 cup (198 grams) of cooked lentils generally provides the following:
- Calories: 230
- Carbs: 39.9 grams
- Protein: 17.9 grams
- Fat: 0.8 grams
- Fiber: 15.6 grams
- Thiamine: 28% of the DV
- Niacin: 13% of the DV
- Vitamin B6: 21% of the DV
- Folate: 90% of the DV
- Pantothenic acid: 25% of the DV
- Iron: 37% of the DV
- Magnesium: 17% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 28% of the DV
- Potassium: 16% of the DV
- Zinc: 23% of the DV
- Copper: 55% of the DV
- Manganese: 43% of the DV
Lentils are high in fiber, which supports regular bowel movements and the growth of healthy gut bacteria. As a result, eating lentils can increase your stool weight and improve your overall gut function.
Furthermore, 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 prefer using fresh garlic minced for the best flavor.
- Carrots: Carrots add sweetness and a slightly crunchy texture to the lentil stew.
- White Onion: White onion has a strong flavor, but when sautéed, it caramelizes and gets sweeter.
- Celery: Celery adds freshness and a crunchy texture similar to the carrot.
- Vegetable Broth: I buy vegetable broth in bulk at Costco.
- Cumin: Cumin has a warm, earthy flavor profile.
- Brown Lentils: I rinsed dry brown lentils and picked over any debris or dirt.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste gives the stew broth a deep, rich flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper provides a little heat and depth of flavor.
- Smoked Paprika: Regular paprika contains crushed dried chili peppers. Smoked paprika is made from smoke-dried chili peppers that were dried over an oak fire before ground into a powder.
- Kale: Kale is a hearty green that wilts when added to the hot stew at the end of cooking.
- Baby Potatoes (Optional): This time, I added baby potatoes for a heartier stew. This is an optional ingredient. If you prefer the stew thinner, leave the potatoes out.
Lentil Stew Ingredient Substitutions
- One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Choose any type of parsnip to replace carrots ina recipe.
- Yellow onions are an excellent substitute for white onions.
- Fennel is similar to celery in texture; however, fennel has a licorice flavor, which some people enjoy.
- Using Yondu mixed with water substitutes the vegetable broth in the lentil stew recipe.
- Coriander similar in flavor to cumin.
- Try green lentils, which have a similar structure to brown lentils. Red lentils, however, break down when cooked and are often used for thinner, pureed 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 large quantities of paste, simmer the sauce to reduce it by half before adding it to the mix.
- Red pepper flakes are similar to cayenne pepper. If you are sensitive to spice, omit this ingredient.
- Use regular paprika and add 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke to mimic the smokiness missing from smoked paprika.
- Collard greens or spinach are options to replace kale in the lentil stew.
- Leave out the potatoes or add them, whichever you prefer.
How to Make Lentil Stew
One of my favorite aspects of this recipe is it all cooks in one pot, which means only one pot to clean. And I am all about easy prep and clean up.
- Begin cooking the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots until the onions become translucent.
- This is called mirepoix, a French word meaning a flavor base to cook onions, celery, and carrots cut into similar sizes.
- Add the seasonings, which sweat into the onions, carrots, and celery.
- Next, add the tomato paste and dry brown lentils and stir to combine.
- Now, add the vegetable broth and potatoes if using.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, remove the cover and stir in the chopped kale—the kale wilts when mixed into the hot stew.
What to Serve with Lentil Stew
I suggest serving this rich lentil stew with sweet vegan cornbread or crunchy crusty bread to dip into the stew.
And don't forget a big hearty salad such as chopped kale salad, vegan Nicoise salad, or chopped vegan Greek salad.
I also like to add some parsley to the top of the lentil stew for additional freshness.
Recipe FAQs
Lentil stew is a thick lentil soup made with the legumes as its base. Often a vegan or vegetarian recipe, this gluten-free stew is low in total fat and includes good carbohydrates and an abundance of protein.
Lentils are not required but can be soaked to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick them over to remove debris or shriveled lentils, then drain.
It's best to be safe and rinse and sift through them before cooking because no one wants to break a tooth by biting down on a rock. So please follow this tip: Give the lentils a good rinse in a colander to remove debris and sift through them to ensure no hidden stones are tucked among the legumes.
Tips
- Rinse lentils and pick through them to ensure there aren't any stones. Remove any unwanted debris.
- Add vegetable broth or skip the potatoes for a thinner stew, which absorb a lot of fluid.
- Cut the vegetables in similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- Remove the stem from the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces consistent with the size of the vegetables in the stew.
- If you don't have smoke paprika, add a teaspoon or two of liquid smoke.
- I suggest using Souper Cubes to freeze leftover stew.
- For freezing, ensure the stew is at room temperature or cold in the refrigerator 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 thawed stew before reheating.
If you're looking for a quick and easy hearty weeknight meal, give this vegan lentil stew recipe a try!
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📖 Recipe
Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 White onion, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 2 Carrots, diced
- 2 Stalks, celery, diced
- 2 cups Brown lentils Rinsed and picked over; remove stones or debris
- 6 Baby potatoes, cut into quarters Optional
- 1 bunch kale, chopped into bite-sized pieces remove the stem
- ¼ cup Tomato paste
- 6 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tablespoons Smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Parsley, chopped Garnish optional
Instructions
- Saute garlic, onions, carrots, and celery in a dutch oven or large soup pot until the onions are translucent.
- Add the smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Stir to combine.
- Add the dry brown lentils and the tomato paste.
- Stir to combine.
- If using the potatoes, add them now, and stir into the mixture.
- Add the vegetable broth.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce the temperature to simmer.
- Cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir in the chopped kale. The kale wilts when added to the hot stew.
- Garnish with parsley.
- Serve with cornbread or crusty bread.
Notes
- Rinse lentils and pick through them to ensure there aren't any stones. Remove any unwanted debris.
- For a thinner stew, add vegetable broth or skip teh potatoes, which absorb a lot of fluid.
- Cut the vegetables in similar sizes, so they cook evenly.
- Remove the stem from the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces consistent with the size of the vegetables in the stew.
- If you don't have smoke paprika, add a teaspoon or two of liquid smoke.
- I suggest using Souper Cubes to freeze leftover stew.
- For freezing, ensure the stew is at room temperature or cold in the refrigerator 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 thawed stew before reheating.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
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