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Lentil Stew

This vegan and plant based Lentil Stew recipe has a rich and hearty medley of vegetables and lentils making it nourishing for both your body and soul! This vegan stew undeniably flavorful and easy to make!

Why You’ll Love This Lentil Soup Recipe

There’s really nothing better than a bowl of something comforting that tastes so darn good! This hearty lentil stew has so many colorful vegetables like celery, green beans, carrots, sweet potato, tomatoes and kale that will make your body happy and actually fill you up. Here’s why you’ll love it:

  • So Much Flavor: Too often, veggie-forward dinners lack flavor and never really make you feel full. You don’t need to worry about that at ALL with this easy lentil stew recipe! Seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic, cumin, and crushed red pepper, each bite of this stew is bursting with mouthwatering flavor.
  • Classic Comfort Food: You don’t need a big bowl of pasta for comfort food! This incredible lentil stew makes you feel like you’re wrapped in a warm hug from the first bite.
  • Pantry Shopping: We love nothing more than being able to create amazing dinners from ingredients we already have at home. This is just another awesome benefit of veggie-forward meals like this lentil soup recipe!

Looking for more veggie-packed easy dinners? You’ll love our chicken zucchini enchiladas, caprese stuffed air fryer avocados, and our hearty vegetable soup.

Ingredients in lentil stew are presented on a white surface.

What You’ll Need

The great thing about veggie-forward meals like this lentil soup is that they’re usually made with readily available pantry ingredients. Gotta love that! Scroll down to the recipe card for exact amounts.

  • Olive Oil
  • Veggies: We’ll be using onion, celery, carrots, fresh garlic, green beans, kale, and sweet potatoes. You can swap out the sweet potatoes for any other root vegetable (parsnips would be good!) if you’d like.
  • Seasoning: All our flavor will be developed with smoked paprika, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
  • Vegetable Broth: You can use chicken stock if you don’t care about this staying vegetarian.
  • Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes
  • Tomato Paste
  • Lentils
A bowl of lentil stew is placed next to a large pot and some saltine crackers.

How to Make Lentil Stew

This lentil soup recipe comes together in no time at all. Here’s how to make it. Check out the recipe card at the end of the post for detailed directions.

  • Sauté: In a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, add olive oil, onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add More Veggies: Add the sweet potato, green beans and kale to the dutch oven. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and stir well.
  • Toss In More Ingredients: Add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and lentils to the mix. Stir everything to combine, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Boil: Let the stew boil for 3 minutes, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often! The stew will absorb almost all of the broth it is cooking in, leaving you a thick and hearty stew. If your broth is absorbed and your lentils and vegetables are not tender yet, you can add a little more broth and cook until tender.
A wooden spoon is stirring all of the ingredients for lentil stew in a dutch oven.

Tips and Tricks

Here are a few tips from our kitchen to make sure your lentil soup comes out perfectly every time.

  • Nice and Thick: Most of the broth will be absorbed, leaving you with a thick and hearty lentil stew. If needed, you can add additional broth as your mixture simmers if you find that your stew is too dry.
  • Veggies: You can use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand. Anything goes! Just make sure you cut things that have a longer cooking time, like root vegetables, into smaller chunks so they cook quicker.
  • Leftover Ideas: If you have any leftovers, we love to serve them the next day with a fried egg on top for a hearty breakfast or lunch!
A small bowl contains a single serving of lentil stew.

What to Serve With Lentil Stew

You really don’t need anything to serve with it, it’s a filling meal all on it’s own! However, my husband loves it with crackers and I love to have a hunk of crusty warm bread with it. You can also serve it with a fresh side salad on the side.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

This hearty lentil stew makes great leftovers. Here’s how to handle them.

  • Store: In an airtight container in the fridge, homemade lentil stew will stay fresh for up to 4 to 5 days!
  • Reheat: When you’re ready to reheat it, the microwave works just fine. However, for the best results, reheat the stew in the dutch oven over medium heat with a couple tablespoons of water. Stir often!
  • Freeze: Lentil stew will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure it’s in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn. No need to thaw it, either! When you’re ready to serve it, just place the frozen stew in the dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of water and cover it with a lid. Reheat it over medium heat and once it starts to thaw, stir it frequently.
Saltine crackers are placed next to a bowl of lentil stew.

More Easy Soup Recipes

A spoon is lifting a bite of stew from a full bowl.
5 from 1 vote
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Yield: 4 servings

Lentil Stew

This vegan and plant based Lentil Stew recipe has a rich and hearty medley of vegetables and lentils making it nourishing for both your body and soul! This vegan stew undeniably flavorful and easy to make!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced or diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 cup fresh green bean, ends trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1 cup shredded fresh kale
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 1 15 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, do not drain
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups lentils
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • In a large dutch oven (or heavy bottomed pot) over medium-high heat, add olive oil, onion, celery and carrots. Sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened, then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
    A large wooden spoon is stirring ingredients in the bottom of a dutch oven.
  • Add sweet potato, green beans and kale and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in seasonings: smoked paprika, cumin, and crushed red pepper flakes.
    Vegetable broth is being poured on top of sautéed vegetables.
  • Add vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and lentils. Stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes then turn the heat medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes stirring often.
    Lentils are added to the dutch oven.
  • Most broth will be absorbed, leaving you with a thick and hearty lentil stew. If needed, you can add additional broth as your mixture simmers if it becomes too dry while cooking the lentils/vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, before serving.
    A wooden spoon is stirring all of the ingredients for lentil stew in a dutch oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 257kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 621mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugar: 11g

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