Vegan lentil stew recipe - please help!

[Amy SF]

A couple weeks ago I bought a bag of dried organic green lentils, and I’d like to make a nice vegan lentil stew. I’ve never made one before, but when I did a Google search for vegan lentil stew recipes, there were almost 300,000 results. How am I supposed to pick one?

Can anyone help me? Does anyone have a nice vegan lentil stew recipe?

Note: Soup would be okay, too, but I'd really like to make it thicker and have it be a stew. Thank you.

 

[shyvas]

Nigel Slater's following recipe is fabulous :

BBC - Food - Recipes : Almond lentil stew

 

[Blobbenstein]

Irish Stew in the name of the law.....does that help?


Just boil it and throw in some onions.//

 

[Poppy]

Lentils tend to thicken up when they are cooked, so you'll probably end up with a texture you'll like.

Hearty Lentil Soup - Deborah Madison from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

2 T. Olive Oil
2 C. finely diced onions
3 large garlic cloves
salt and pepper
3 T. tomato paste
1/3 C. finely diced celery
1/3 C. finely diced carrot
2 bay leaves
1/2 C. chopped parsley
1 1/2 C. French green or brown lentils
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Chopped celery leaves

Heat the oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to color around the edges - 5 − 7 minutes. Mince or pound the garlic with 1 t. salt. Work the tomato paste into the cooked onion, then add the garlic, celery, carrot, bay leaves and parsley and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partial covered until the lentil are tender - 25 − 35 minutes.

Stir in the mustard and vinegar. Taste and add more of either if needed. Chesck the salt, season with plenty of pepper, remove the bay leaves and serve, garnished with celery leaves. The longer the soup sits before serving, the better it will taste.

 

[Vee1]

Here is one from my blog ( shameless plug). As was mentioned lentils do go thick so you should get what you desire.

Ingredients

1. 1 brown onion- diced finely
2. 2 TBS oil for frying ( I used coconut)
3. 1 cup red lentils-washed
4. 1 medium sized pumpkin ( I used butternut)
5. 1/2 vegan stock cube
6. 4 cups water ( or more as needed)
7. pinch of nutmeg
8. salt and pepper as needed

Instructions

1. Peel and cut the pumpkin into bite size pieces.
2. Melt oil in medium heat and fry onion for 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to bring out the juice of the onion. Stir to prevent sticking.
3. Add the pumpkin and fry with the onions for about 5 minutes until you feel the pumpkin getting soft.
4. Add the washed lentils. Stir them up and add a small amount of water to prevent sticking.
5. Add a pinch of nutmeg.
6. Dissolve the 1/2 stock cube in a little water and add to lentil mixture.
7. Add the water and once it has heated turn down to simmer.
8. Keep an eye on the lentils as they are simmering. If you need more water add slowly as necessary.
9. The soup is ready when the lentils are a soft consistency and the pumpkin is also so soft it is hard to notice in the soup.
10. Have a taste and see if you need to add salt/Braggs/tamari . Add if needed.
11. Add a few grinds of pepper. Stir it all up and serve!

Good Luck

 

[Vee1]

On another note green lentils will work. Often times it is good to soak them for a bit in some water to soften them up.

You could follow the recipe above and omit pumpkin if you like.

OK....second time good luck!

 

[Amy SF]

Thanks!

 

[Freesia]

If I am doing a whole lentil (ie with the skin on, rather than the split lentils) I tend to pre cook them then strain them, as they can take a long type to cook, particularly the small brown ones.

The red ones cook in reasonable time though. I like to wait until they are well cooked to the point of being a little mushy as they can cause bloating if they are a bit raw.

 

[shyvas]

Which recipe did you make, Amy ?

 

[Amy SF]

I haven't made anything yet. I probably won't even do anything for a few months until we get cooler weather, since it occurred to me that a nice hearty lentil stew is great for fall and winter meals. I don't even have a freezer right now anyway.

 

[shyvas]

You really don't need a freezer as any leftovers keep perfectly well in an airtight container in the fridge. Furthermore a hearty vegetable green lentil stew makes a nice meal even during the summer months.

 

[Amy SF]

Oh.

 

[ledboots]

Vee, I love the pumpkin idea and will add it next time! Nice blog

 

[Vee1]

Vee, I love the pumpkin idea and will add it next time! Nice blog

Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it

 

[Vee1]

I am planning on posting a lentil, pumpkin cumin dip/spread perhaps on my Friday post. Another use for lentils????