This Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew is full of warming stick-to-your-ribs flavors that are perfect for a chilly night. Packed with carrots, celery, potatoes, peas, and lentils this rich stew is full of good-for-you veggies, that are simmered in a hearty gravy sauce made with red wine. YUM.
The days are getting chillier and that means one thing to me: soups and stews every day!!! I love how stews are so rich and comforting but are also full of good-for-you veggies. I always have a jar of dry lentils in my cupboard so this hearty vegan lentil stew recipe has become a go-to for me. Inspired by a beef stew, the broth is thick and full of umami with red wine, balsamic vinegar, tomato paste, and brown sugar. Trust me when I say, you will want to serve this stew with a nice bread so that you can use it to sop up every last drop of deliciousness.
Ingredients in lentil stew:
Lentils: you can use brown or green lentils, both work equally well. Just ensure they are uncooked. The lentils are cooked in the stew so that they take on a ton of flavor while also thickening the stew.
Veggies: potatoes, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and peas are all added. I like to cut them into large chunks so this stew has lots of texture.
Broth: I like to use a vegan beefless broth, for the best flavor, but a mushroom broth or any kind of vegetable broth will also work just fine.
Red wine:Â red wine adds to the rich color and flavor of the broth. Any kind of red wine will work, so I suggest opening a bottle that you would like to enjoy with the stew when you serve it. If you do not want to use red wine, no problem, just use more vegetable broth in its place.
Flavor enhancers: tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, bay, thyme, and salt and pepper are used to deepen the flavors of the stew.
How to make Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew:
Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and satué until the onions begin to soften, 5 - 10 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Keep cooking while stirring for about 60 seconds. Add the vegetable broth and use your spoon to scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan.
Now add the potatoes, lentils, red wine, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper, and stir. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the lentils are cooked through. If your stew gets too thick, feel free to thin it out to your desired consistency with some extra vegetable broth.
Lastly, stir in the peas and cook for a few minutes more to heat through. Add extra salt and pepper to taste if desired. Serve hot with parsley for garnish if desired.
This lentil stew is...
- very warming and comforting
- the perfect meal for a chilly night
- full of good-for-you veggies and lentils
What to serve with hearty vegan lentil stew:
The Easiest and Most Delicious Vegan Cornbread
Cheesy Vegan Garlic Bread
The Best Vegan Sandwich Bread
Corn Ribs
Easy Crispy Vegan Crackers
Vegan Parmesan
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
Hearty Vegan Lentil Stew
Servings:
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 ribs celery, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, (gluten-free if preferred)
- 4 cups vegan beefless broth, mushroom broth, or vegetable broth, (plus more if needed)
- 2 lbs russet or yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup uncooked green or brown lentils
- 1 cup red wine, (or sub with more broth if preferred)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen peas
- fresh parsley, optional for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large stew pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté until the onions begin to soften, 5 - 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggies and stir to combine. Keep cooking while stirring for about 60 seconds. Add the vegetable broth and use your spoon to scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan.
- Now add the potatoes, lentils, red wine, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper, and stir. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender and the lentils are cooked through. If your stew gets too thick, feel free to thin it out to your desired consistency with some extra vegetable broth.
- Lastly, stir in the peas and cook for a few minutes more to heat through. Add extra salt and pepper to taste if desired. Serve hot with parsley for garnish if desired.
Nutrition
More Vegan Soups and Stew Recipes You Might Enjoy:
Karen says
Made this today and out dumplings on the top. So delicious.
Susan Roman says
Excellent! I left out peas, because . and I decided to try it in my instant pot. 8 minutes, NPR and it's perfect.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Very cool, thanks for sharing!
Heather says
Delicious! I doubled the recipe so we’d have leftovers and I think it tasted even better the day. We aren’t fans of peas, so I left them out. I had a can of sliced mushrooms that I needed to use, so I tossed them in instead of the peas.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
That sounds terrific!
Laurie says
Sounds amazing! Do you happen to know if you could make this in an Instant Pot, and a guess-timate of how many minutes on high pressure?
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
It hasn't been tested for Instant Pot, but if you test it, please let us know how it turns out!
Laura says
It seems to me that you have truly outdone yourself, Sam.
This picture is causing me to salivate.
Wow! I have to make this.
I shall be reporting back, Captain. 🙂 Thanks, take care.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Hahaha! We hope you love it!
Peggy Does Cake says
Sam, I've been wanting to try this, but was hesitant because the ingredients seems too simple to yield the kind of taste I was looking for. But I finally tried it this week. I made it exactly as it was written with no changes (except red cooking wine instead of actual red drinking wine), and it was FANTASTIC! Why do I ever doubt you? Everything I've ever made from this site has been so good! This soup is incredibly robust and hearty, but the best part is that it actually tastes like the stew I remember eating before I became plant based. Everyone in my family raved over it, even the carnivores. Oh, and it's excellent left over! Every other stew recipe I've ever collected over the years has now gone into the trash.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
What a great review! Thanks for sharing your experience and enjoyment!
Mariana says
Hello. I need to get wet overnight the lentils? Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Marina, no need to soak the lentils, they will cook in the stew. Enjoy!
Julie says
Made this on a snowy day, followed recipe exactly. It is delicious!! I will definitely be making it often this winter!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you love it!!
Nancy says
Just made this and it is delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Do you happen to know if it freezes well?
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it! Generally potatoes don't freeze well so I do not recommend it. 🙂
Lily says
So we've made this twice since you published it - it's delicious, and the whole family loves it. My 4 year old said "it's sooo good" and finished her bowl both times so it's not a fluke. Makes enough leftovers for the next day which is an extra bonus. It's going to be a regular for us this fall/winter.
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful!! So happy you love it!!
Susan says
You did it again, Sam! This stew is unbelievably good. I can’t imagine anyone not liking it. Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you Susan!!
Christiane says
Excellent! And it smells so good when it cooks (it reminded me of my grandma’s kitchen in France).
Sam Turnbull says
Aww lovely!
Serra says
amazing!!! I added mushrooms to mine and it was delicious! I love how flavourful it is and hearty! this will be a keeper
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed Serra!
Patty Eilers says
Wow, this looks and smells just like beef stew. I used mushroom broth and followed the directions...cooked it a bit longer because the lentils hadn't softened up quite yet (I live at altitude so that's the likely cause). Hubby said, "That's a keeper."
One note--it definitely tastes better the next day.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed Patty!
in2insight says
Outstanding. Comforting and filling. Made me happy.
Only had 1.25 lbs of potatoes and did not feel like there was a need for more.
Thank you for sharing.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it!
Candi says
Just made this for dinner. What a fast and delicious recipe! I made it WFPB by eliminating the oil, sugar and salt and lost nothing by making it healthier for me. Thank you for the gift of this recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful, so happy you enjoyed it Candi!
Gigi says
So so yummy& hearty!! And so easy to make. Thank you!! ♡
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it Gigi!
M says
Would this recipe work with red lentils?
Sam Turnbull says
Red lentils are softer and cook faster, so if you use them, try adding them in the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking so that they don't get overcooked. Enjoy!
Andy Makowski says
Thanks for sharing this great recipe. Just a bit of feedback on your web site. I understand the reason behind the ads as it is how you make a living, and I don’t have a problem. Unfortunately on an iPad, some of the ads take up a lot of space and you can’t close them. It makes it difficult to follow the recipes.
Shelley says
if you click on the print button it's a lot easier to look at just the recipe
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Andy, the ads shouldn't be doing that. If you could send a screenshot to hello@itdoesnttastelikechicken.com we can hopefully fix this issue. Thank you!
Grace says
what kind of wine do you use
Sam Turnbull says
Whatever kind of red wine you enjoy will work fine. I usually use a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.