Rich and creamy vegan lentil stew to warm you from the inside out. Full of healthy ingredients and anti-inflammatory benefits, a perfect cozy meal!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Oh She Glows. The opinions and text are all mine.
This recipe was originally published on 12/6/16
When the weather cools down I crave warm foods. There is nothing quite like a bowl of warm creamy stew to warm your insides, especially when it’s super healthy and made with whole foods.
Vegan Lentil Stew
When I got the chance to review the new book by Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows Every Day, my eyes (and stomach) landed directly on her Golden French Lentil Stew.
This rich and creamy vegan lentil stew is full of healthy ingredients and anti-inflammatory benefits, a perfect cozy meal!
The recipes inside will literally make your stomach growl as you peruse the pages. Looking through each section, I couldn’t decide which recipe to review!
I kept putting stickies on my favorites, but when I ran out of stickies, I decided perhaps it was time to narrow it down. Because it happened to be a blustery day, the vegan lentil stew is what I went with. But really, SO many amazing options!
Other recipes from “Oh She Glows Every Day” I want to try:
- High Rise Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Buttercream Frosting
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Garlic Super-Seed Crackers
- Creamy Thai Carrot Sweet Potato Soup with Roasted Tamari Almonds
- Strawberry Oat Crumble Bars, with Strawberry-Vanilla Chia Seed Jam
Can you add dry lentils to stew?
Yep! That’s the great thing about lentils, they don’t need soaking. Lentils cook much faster than other dried beans so soaking is not necessary. This lentil stew will cook in about 30-25 minutes!
What goes with lentils?
The question should really be, what doesn’t go good with lentils! Really any veggie or savory item I have tried goes amazing with lentils. I love them cold or warm. In a stew or a salad. Here are some of my favorite ways to use lentils:
- tomatoes and my vegan feta
- this Greek lentils soup
- make them into a lentil burger
- make them into a bean dip
- add them to a salad
- saute onions and other seasonal veggies
How do you keep lentils from splitting?
The key to keeping a lentils shape. and keeping them from getting mushy, is to make sure you don’t overcook them. Because lentils take a shorter time to cook than other dried beans, people tend to let them cook too long.
Make sure you test them often by trying them and checking consistency. Also, you want to make sure the lentils you buys are fresh, old lentils shed their skin faster and turn mushy.
How long does lentil stew last?
This will last about a week in the fridge and a few months in the freezer. Just make sure to store in an airtight container and cool completely before you store it.
Can you freeze lentil soup?
Absolutely! The best thing about stews and soups is freezing leftovers for easy dinners. Make sure it is cooled completely before freezing.
I like to store in a glass airtight container. I also put plastic wrap right over the top, so it is touching the surface before putting the top on. This helps freezer burn.
How to Make Vegan Lentil Stew
This vegan lentil stew came together SO easily! I literally had three tired, cranky, hungry kids at my feet as I prepped and cooked, but I was still able to do it all in record time.
- Make the cashew cream.
- Saute the onions.
- Add the carrots, celery and spices.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils and broth.
- Add the cream and chard.
Tips For Making This Vegan Lentil Stew:
- I tested the stew with both cashew and sunflower seed cream, and both versions work great.
- It’s a perfect recipe for those with tree nut allergies (as long as you can eat sunflower seeds).
- The French green lentils hold their shape well and add a bit of a chew, but feel free to use green or brown lentils if that’s all you can find. The stew will just be thicker since green and brown lentils break down a bit more.
More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes You Might Like:
- Zucchini ravioli – a low carb indulgence
- Fall harvest burrito with homemade vegan mayo
- Buffalo chickpea tacos
- Vegan stuffed shells with cauliflower ricotta
Vegan French Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, or 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 mL) raw sunflower seeds (125 mL)
- 2 cups water (500 mL)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , optional, use broth for oil free (30 mL)
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (about 2 cups/500 mL)
- 4 large cloves garlic minced (2 tablespoons/ 30 mL minced)
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt, to taste , plus a couple pinches (5 to 7 mL)
- 2 medium carrots diced (1 heaping cup/275 mL)
- 2 stalks celery diced (3/4 cup/175 mL)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme (7 mL)
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (5 mL)
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, with juices (14-ounce/398 mL)
- 3/4 cup uncooked French green lentils, picked over and rinsed (175 mL)
- 4 cups veggie broth , low sodium (1 L)
- 3 cups stemmed and chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves (750 mL)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar , to taste (5 to 10 mL)
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with a couple of inches of water. Soak for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. (For a quick-soak method, cover with boiling water and soak for 30 to 60 minutes.) Drain and rinse.
- Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender along with 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the water. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy in texture. Set the cashew cream aside.
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil (or use broth for oil free) over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt, and sauté until the onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and celery, and cook for another few minutes or so. Stir in the cumin, thyme, and turmeric until combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, lentils, broth, and remaining water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the cashew cream and chard. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. (The vinegar’s role is to add a little bit of brightness to the soup; add a bit at a time and keep tasting, as it can quickly overwhelm.)
- Cook for a couple of minutes over low-medium heat, until the chard is wilted, and then serve.
- This stew will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for 1 to 2 months (always let it cool completely before storing). The stew will thicken after sitting in the fridge; you can thin it out with a bit of broth when you reheat it, if desired, or simply serve it thick with some crusty bread.
Notes
- This golden-hued stew is remarkably rich and creamy, thanks to the addition of a dairy-free cream base that can be either nut or seed based.
- When I was developing this recipe, I tested the stew with both cashew and sunflower seed cream, and both versions work beautifully.
- It’s a friendly recipe for those with tree nut allergies (provided you can still eat sunflower seeds).
- Turmeric gives this stew its joyful, rich color, not to mention anti-inflammatory benefits; curcumin, one of the compounds in turmeric, has been shown to help reduce swelling and inflammation.
- The stew is spiced with dried thyme and cumin, and it packs a hefty portion of greens (Swiss chard or kale—your choice!) and other hearty vegetables like carrot and celery.
- The French green lentils hold their shape well and add a lovely, chewy element, but feel free to use green or brown lentils if that’s all you can find.
- The stew will just be thicker since green and brown lentils break down a bit more.
- Reprinted from Oh She Glows Every Day by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Glo Bakery Corporation
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Judith says
I used red lentils since that’s what I had in my pantry and I personally enjoyed more of the tomato base flavor. I ended up adding the entire 17 oz carton of tomatoes I had on hand. Absolutely delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you liked it Judith!!
Sharon says
Is the white wine vinegar really required? Can you substitute with regular vinegar or balsamic vinegar? I haven’t tried it yet but it looks absolutely delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Sharon! The white vinegar will be tangier but you can definitely sub with similar results!!
Monica Multer says
Do you have any recommendations for those with tomato allergies?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Monica! I would just skip them and add more broth. Taste and add salt if needed!
Carol Molina says
I was too hungry to wait for cashews to soak so I used a whole can of regular coconut milk.
I had only brown lentils so I used those.
I had frozen spinach so I added that instead of kale.
So I may have a completely different soup than everyone else but it is delicious!
This is a recipe I can see experimenting with and having a little different meal every time I make it.
Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
Haha!! Love all the changes you made, they sound delicious!
Allison Hall says
I love this recipe! I made it for meal prep and it’s perfect. I think I’ll try it with coconut milk next time instead of the cashews just to see how it turns out! I also added chopped mushrooms to mine and substituted with spinach. It’s so YUMMY!!!!
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it Allison! The mushrooms sound amazing!
Emilie says
This really hit the spot. Been eying this recipe for a while and finally made it. I love swiss chard, and now love french green lentils, too!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you liked it!! I love both of those too!
Susan says
My son is allergic to cashews and some other nuts (but not almond or sunflower or pumpkin). For this and many recipes that call for cashews, I’d like to use almonds or sunflower. Two questions: (1) Can I substitute with almonds (I’d soak and treat the almonds like cashews) and (2) If I use sunflower seed, how to adjust amounts in other recipes (you did the math in this one!) (i.e., cashew to sunflower) and do I soak sunflower seeds? Thanks much.
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Susan! It really just depends on the recipe. Overall both almonds and sunflower seeds will change the flavor. Generally, both can be used as a cashew sub in same amounts, but you may need to change up the lemon/vinegar/etc that counteracts the sweetness of the cashews to give a more neutral flavor. It’s something you can definitely play around with!
Sonja Harris says
I have made this twice already and it’s a great creamy non-dairy easy lentil stew that my family all likes.
veggiesdontbite says
Awesome Sonja! Thank you for letting me know!
Lindsey says
So good! Have made it several times now – never disappoints.
veggiesdontbite says
So happy you liked it!
Vicki says
This is a delicious stew. I added some Better Than Bouillon base. I also used the greens from beet tops. This is definitely going to be a favorite.
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you liked it Vicki!
Geri says
Would I be able to home pressure can this recipe?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Geri! I am not sure about that as I don’t know much about home pressure canning. I would guess you could if you can do that with soups! Sorry, wish I could help more.
Dona says
Could i use sun/cashew butter instead of soaking the seeds? Maybe add I little water?
veggiesdontbite says
Hi Dona! Yes, you could use the butter for sure. I’d just make it and see how much liquid you’d need if any. Let me know how it goes!
Teresa says
Amazing recipe. I use tahini (because I’m lazy) in place of the cashews and it works great!
veggiesdontbite says
That’s a great idea! Happy you like it!
Talitha Huber says
I’ve been looking for ways to incorporate lentils into our diet and I think I’ve hit the jackpot with this one! I couldn’t believe how much flavor this had with such simple ingredients and spices! We enjoyed it with greek yogurt and honey wheat bread =)
I used 1 cup heavy cream in place of the cashew cream and omitted the celery for budget and preference reasons, and it turned out heavenly (though a bit thinner, i think, than if I had followed to the letter).
And in case any one was wondering, this makes right around 8 cups of stew, so about 8 servings of a normal bowl full. According to verywellfit.com’s calorie counter that should be 191 calories/serving.
Excellent recipe and meal, thank you so much! I think I’ll be spending a lot more time on this site =)
veggiesdontbite says
I’m so happy you loved this recipe Talitha! Lentils are truly an amazing ingredient. So much in that little bean! Let me know if I can help out in any way!