Vegan lentil stew is a healthy, high-protein soup for fall and winter or perfect for any time. This one-pot recipe is packed with nutrition and flavors. Let's make this delicious vegan lentil stew in less than 30 minutes.
Lentils are one of the sources of protein. This also helps to keep you full for longer. Check out more health benefits of lentils here.
Loaded with other veggies, this lentil stew is truly nutrient-loaded. This is perfect for a lazy night's dinner or a quick brunch.
Check out my breakfast potatoes, Chinese green beans, and vegan blueberry pancakes recipes on the blog.
Vegan Lentil Stew - Highlights
This is easy to make and requires no planning or preparation. All the ingredients are easily found in your kitchen.
There are no fancy ingredients at all. And you can customize it with your favorite veggies or spices.
This is also plant-based and gluten-free. However, lentils are not suitable for the keto and low-carb diets because they are also carb-rich.
It can be made easily on the stovetop (pot/ Dutch oven) in an instant pot.
Here, I'm sharing instructions for making the lentil stew.
Which lentils are best for the stew?
Brown or green lentils have skin, so they hold up their shape even when cooked soft. Unlike the other lentils, they don't turn mushy completely.
However, if you love a mushy consistency, you must go ahead with red lentils without skin, which cook really fast. Brown lentils or green lentils will take a little longer than red lentils, but they will not be mushy. Choose your lentil accordingly.
I prefer to make them with brown/green lentils. Check out my lentil taco meat recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
Brown/ Green Lentils
Onions, carrots, celery, garlic
Olive oil
Vegetable broth/ stock
Spices/ seasonings - ground cumin, ground coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning mix (or oregano, rosemary, parsley), salt & pepper
How to make vegan lentil stew?- Instructions for stovetop & instant pot
This is an easy one-pot dish.
Heat oil in a pot/ Dutch oven. Add minced garlic and saute for a few seconds. Add diced onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes.
Then add the lentils and spices. Stir to mix them well. Add vegetable broth and stir once.
Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low flame for 15 - 20 minutes or till the lentils are cooked soft.
Add more stock as required, depending on the consistency you need.
Note - 5 - 6 parts of liquid per 1 part of lentils will be okay.
In the end, when the lentils are cooked perfectly, sprinkle some fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro leaves finely chopped, and drizzle some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Give a nice stir to mix all of them.
Taste the salt and adjust if required. Vegan lentil stew is ready to serve. Serve hot.
Instant Pot Lentil Stew
Start the IP Saute function. Once the pot is hot, add minced garlic and onion. Saute for 30 - 40 seconds.
Add the diced celery, carrots, and potatoes. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the lentils, tomatoes, and spices.
Give all a nice stir, deglazing the inner pot. Add vegetable broth, and make sure you deglaze the pot.
Turn off the SAUTE function. Start MANUAL PRESSURE COOK mode on high pressure. Close the LID of the instant pot, turning the PRESSURE VALVE to SEALING.
Set the time for 12 minutes. Once it beeps, allow it for NPR for 7 - 8 minutes. Quickly release the rest of the pressure. Turn the pressure valve and open the lid.
Give a nice stir and drizzle some lemon juice, followed by finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.
How to store & reheat?
You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator or freeze them too. These are freezer-friendly too and hence suitable for meal prep. But I love the flavor most when they are freshly made.
To store in the refrigerator, transfer the leftover to an air-tight container with a lid. When stored in a proper container, this stays fresh for 4 - 5 days.
They stay good in the freezer for 2 - 3 months or more. To freeze the soup, cool it completely to room temperature. Then, transfer it to freezer bags and store it for future use. Make sure to store it in batch size (single consumption) so that you don't need to defrost and reheat the whole lot.
To reheat, defrost for a few hours. Then microwave them for 2 minutes with a stir after 1 minute. You can also reheat on the stovetop in a pot.
Vegan Lentil Stew
Vegan Lentil Stew (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- 1 large pot/ Dutch oven with lid
- 1 ladle/ spatula
- 1 knife
- 1 Chopping board
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown lentil or green lentil
- 1 onion diced
- 5 - 6 garlic minced/ diced
- 2 medium carrots diced 1/2 cup
- 1 large potato diced to bite size pieces
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 5 cups vegetable broth depending on the consistency you need
- 1 cup diced tomatoes canned or 2 medium size tomatoes + 2 tbsp tomato puree
Spices
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ - ¾ tsp cayenne pepper depending on how hot you want
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp Italian seasonings (dried) (oregano + parsley + rosemary)
- salt to taste
- 1 - 2 tbsp fresh herbs finely chopped
- 1 - 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot/ Dutch oven.
- Add minced garlic and onions. saute for a minute.
- Add diced celery, carrots, and potatoes.
- Saute for 3 - 4 minutes on medium heat.
- Add the tomatoes (canned or fresh as mentioned above in ingredient list).
- Then add the lentils, spices. Stir to mix them well. Add
- Add vegetable broth and stir once.
- Cover the pot with a lid and simmer on low flame for 15 - 20 minutes or till the lentils are cooked soft.
- Add more stock as and if required depending on the consistency you need.
- In the end add some fresh finely chopped parsley and a dash of lemon juice.
- Mix them well. Remove from heat.
- Lentil stew is ready to serve.
Instant Pot Lentil Stew
- Start the IP Saute function.
- Once pot is hot, add minced garlic and onion. Saute for 30 - 40 seconds.
- Add the diced celery, carrots, and potatoes. Saute for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Now add the lentils, tomatoes, spices.
- Give all a nice stir deglazing the inner pot.
- Add vegetable broth and make sure you deglazed the pot.
- Turn off the SAUTE function.
- Start MANUAL PRESSURE COOK mode on high pressure.
- Close the LID of the instant pot turning the PRESSURE VALVE to SEALING.
- Set timer for 15 minutes.
- Once it beeps, allow it for NPR for 7 - 8 minutes. Quick release the rest of the pressure.
- Turn the pressure valve and open the lid.
- Give a nice stir and drizzle some lemon juice followed by fresh parsley or cilantro.
- If required a creamy texture, press them lightly mashing roughly.
- Stew is ready to serve.
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