Sexy Vegan Lentil Stew – so easy it cooks itself
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Sexy vegan lentil stew. Why is it called that?
Let’s face it, there’s nothing sexy about stew. But, let me explain. Looking after your body = hot. Hot is sexy.
Lentil stew looks after your body, and your body will look after you.
Covid is currently shutting many gyms, so what we eat has never been more important.
Before I move on to just why this vegan lentil stew is so good for you, I really have to mention how easy it is.
After a couple of minutes prepping, you pretty much throw the rest of the ingredients into a large pot and they’ll cook themselves. Awesome.
Vegetarian (and vegan) lentil stew
Naturally, this lentil stew recipe is vegetarian (it’s actually one of our favorite vegetarian stew recipes ever!). What’s even better is that it’s vegan too. It’s also incredibly nutritious.
Between them, lentils and rice pack one heck of a veggie punch.
Many people just don’t get enough fiber in their diet, and this stew is here to change that.
Just one small portion of it contains 63% of the recommended daily intake, and that’s just the beginning.
Vegan Lentil Stew health benefits
An increase in fiber is linked to so many positive actions for the body – and eating more legumes (like lentils) has been shown in studies to reduce a risk of both coronary heart disease and all-cause mortality! That’s amazing.
Brown rice is also a nutrient-rich powerhouse, and provides much needed fuel for your body.
It can help to control your blood sugar levels, lower cholesterol, promote cardiovascular health and a whole lot more. You can find out more about the health benefits of brown rice here.
One step at a time
The first step in increasing health should be to take a real look at your food intake – small steps always help, no matter how inconsequential they may seem at the beginning.
On this website we also strongly believe that going vegetarian is key to our future, and if this interests you but you’re not sure how to start then make sure you check out the 30 Day Veggie Transformation.
This delicious veggie lentil stew comes with thanks from a great chef, Cristina Parés. Do check her out if you’d like to know more (and can speak Spanish)!
PS. I highly recommend vegetarian lentil stew with tomato chutney!
Lentil stew recipe tips
We love how straightforward this recipe is, and we have a couple of tips to help you achieve the perfect lentil stew every time.
Toast your spices
Whilst spices are naturally fragrant, toasting them brings out the natural flavours and can really enhance your dish.
For our lentil stew recipe we recommend toasting cumin and cayenne pepper for a couple of minutes in a pan as the first step of the recipe.
This works best in a dry, heavy bottomed pan – simply spread the spices evenly over the bottom of the pan, turn on a low heat and wait for your kitchen to smell incredible!
Wash (but don’t soak) your red lentils
The beauty of this recipe is that you don’t actually need to soak anything before cooking and the rest of the prep is minimal.
You should however give your red lentils a quick wash before throwing them in – a rinse with cold water in a sieve or bowl will do the job. The purpose is just to remove any dust, debris or bad lentils before adding them to the pot.
Vegan lentil stew FAQ’s
We’ve covered some of the most common questions about our lentil stew recipe, but if you have any others just let us know in the comments.
What to serve with lentil stew?
We love serving this up with a zingy onion or tomato chutney, a cooling drizzle of vegan yoghurt and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Top with some fresh herbs like cilantro/coriander and tuck in!
Which type of rice should I use?
When creating this recipe we used basmati or jasmine rice, however most types of rice should work well in this dish.
How long will it last in the fridge?
It should last for around 2 days in the fridge. Since the recipe contains rice, you need to make sure it’s cooled down and stored properly within an hour of being cooked. Then you should really reheat it all thoroughly – until it’s steaming hot the whole way through.
If you are serving the lentil stew with a drizzle of yoghurt, it’s best to do this at the end for each serving once it’s been reheated.
Can you freeze lentil stew?
You sure can! Make sure to cool and freeze the stew within an hour (as it contains rice) and you can store it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Simply follow the instructions above for reheating.
It is worth noting though that freezing the stew may change the texture a little, so you may find it’s better eaten fresh.
What our readers are saying
Wow, 5 stars.. Made this today for lunch as I had all the ingredients (but used coconut oil rather than olive oil). Absolutely delicious and even my hubby had seconds. So easy, so healthy, so quick: a new family favourite. Thank you guys!
Ros ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sexy it ain’t, but hearty and delicious? Absolutely!
Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
SO DELICIOUS!! I also added fresh cilantro at the end with the suggestion of lemon juice and it was so good. Thank you for sharing this recipe! 🙂
Shanaz ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ingredients
- ½ cup red lentils, dried
- ½ cup rice
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ medium onion
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cups vegetable broth
- 2 ½ cups water
- ½ tsp cumin, ground
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp sweet paprika (smoked paprika also works nicely)
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp thyme, dried
- 3 tsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
Optional:
- 2 tsp onion chutney (or a drizzle of lemon or vegan yogurt. All are great as garnish!)
Instructions
- Put the cumin and cayenne pepper into a large pot and toast it slowly (no oil).½ tsp cumin, ground, ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- In the meantime, dice the garlic and onion.2 cloves garlic, ½ medium onion
- When the cumin begins to smell (after 2 or 3 minutes usually), add the olive oil, garlic and onion. Let it cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.3 tsp olive oil
- Add the tomato concentrate, the red lentils, rice, the vegetable broth and water.½ cup red lentils, dried, 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cups vegetable broth, 2 ½ cups water, ½ cup rice
- When it begins to boil, add the turmeric, bay leaf and thyme. Cover and let simmer gently for 20-25 minutes. Stir every few minutes. Have a quick taste test to make sure the rice is cooked to your liking. Add the salt, nutritional yeast, remove well and turn off the heat. Add the paprika and serve.1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 bay leaf, 2 tsp thyme, dried, Salt to taste, 2 tsp onion chutney, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
NOTES
- Make-ahead? Yes, prep the night before!
- Freezable? Yes, works well!
- Note: The nutritional data does not include chutney.
I always seem to have these ingredients on hand and make it when I don’t feel like cooking or need to stock up my freezer. One of my go to recipes.
Yay, happy to hear it Jenna, and completely agree – love recipes when you always have everything to hand!
AMAZING so easy and cheap and best of all very tasty!! So easy to make a whole batch for lunches all week 🙂
Ha yes, absolutely! I’m glad you found it helpful, Beth! Thanks for writing
I’ve made this twice so far, substituting quinoa for rice and adding mushrooms and kale. This dish is versatile, nutritious and most importantly tastes great! Thank you!