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Cheap and easy Vegan Lentil Stew recipe.
My Vegan Lentil Stew is totally easy to make, using pantry staples so you can quickly put it together any night of the week. It’s also a healthy, nutritious, and budget-friendly recipe, that’s great for batch cooking. Vegan Lentil Stew is hearty, and the perfect satiating comfort food.
We all love warm and cozy stews this time around. Especially when it’s a simple yet filling version that’s also totally tasty. Right?
This Vegan Lentil Stew is a staple in our home, though I have to admit I rarely make it the same way.
The thing that I like most about this Vegan Lentil Stew, that it’s so easy to switch things up to make it taste new and interesting every time. Adding different veggies, switching up the spicing, or changing the ratios a little, and you got a completely different meal.
Sun-dried tomatoes and some old, kinda wilted herbs? Italian lentil stew! Smoked paprika, root veggies, and lovage? German linseneintopf! Curry powder, fresh cilantro and maybe a little coconut milk? Indian style lentil curry!
Isn’t it cool?
To be honest most of the times I just add whatever leftovers I have to make things more interesting. And then adjust the spices accordingly. So easy!
This version of my Vegan Lentil Stew today is one of the simplest, but it doesn’t mean it’s lacking flavors. It just means it’s an uncomplicated recipe made with a few cheap ingredients.
But if you want to try some different versions of this Vegan Lentil Stew, here are a few ideas for you:
- Try the recipe with different lentils! Green, brown, red, or beluga lentils all work well.
- Use other veggies instead of carrot, potato, and bell pepper, or just add some extra. Mushroom, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, or green peas are all great.
- This recipe is perfect for sneaking more greens into your life. Simply add a bunch of kale, spinach, or Swiss chard to the stew to wilt at the end.
- If you have leftover roasted veggies, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnip or beetroot, feel free to add them to the stew too.
- Don’t forget about canned goods! Olives, capers, diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, or artichokes are all good additions.
- The spices and herbs you use will make the biggest difference. Try cumin, curry powder, mustard seeds, rosemary, oregano, cilantro, chili, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, or any of your favorite spice mix.
- Things like soy sauce, miso paste, vegan Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, tomato paste, or red wine can give extra flavor to your stew as well.
- Depending on what you like, you can play around with the consistency. Add more broth for a soupy version. Or add a little mix of water and flour/starch at the end to thicken the stew.
- You can also add unsweetened plant milk, vegan cream cheese, vegan sour cream, or canned coconut milk for extra creaminess.
- Serve Vegan Lentil Stew with fresh bread, or vegan sausage, fried smoked tofu, or veggie balls on top.
Simple Vegan Lentil Stew
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp vegetable oil (optional)
- 1.5 tsp vegan butter (optional)
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups of diced potatoes (250 g)
- 2 cups of dry lentils
- 5 cups of vegetable broth (1200 ml)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- salt, pepper
To serve:
- bread
- fresh parsley, lovage or cilantro
Instructions
- Heat up oil and butter in a large pot. Once butter melted, add onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper, and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions turn translucent. If making oil-free, simply add 1-2 tablespoons of vegetable stock occasionally, to make sure veggies don’t burn down.
- Add garlic, smoked paprika, and cayenne, and cook for maximum a minute, until garlic and spices are fragrant. Be careful, spices can burn very quickly.
- Add potatoes, lentils, vegetable broth, and bay leaves to the soup. Season with salt and pepper generously.
- Bring stew to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, until lentils and potatoes are cooked.
- Add vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed. Discard bay leaves.
- Serve warm sprinkled with fresh herbs, with bread on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
Vegan Lentil Stew freezes well.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
angiesrecipes says
A budget friendly and delicious dish!
green evi says
Thank you 🙂
Richard Tunner says
Delicious! We swapped out potatos for sweet potatoes due to food allergies and it is just as tasty.
green evi says
That’s so cool, sweet potato is such a great addition 🙂
Easyfoodsmith says
Lentils are staple in our meals and I am sure my family will love this stew so much. It looks delicious and hearty.
green evi says
Thank you 🙂
Anthony Allen says
This was terrific. I made it pretty much as written. Added a few fresh green beans cut in about 1 inch pieces. Spices were just right. Definitely a keeper!
green evi says
I’m glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Green beans sound yummy!