Lentil Mushroom Stew

This Lentil Mushroom Stew is the ultimate fall comfort food. It comes together in less than a half hour and makes for the perfect cozy vegetarian meal.

Mushrooms and lentils are slowly cooked down to create a satisfying and hearty vegetable stew. We added in some carrots to give the stew a nice pop of color and add just a touch of earthy sweetness. We served ours over mashed potatoes and it was a match made in heaven; think of it like a lazy shepherd’s pie!

Weeknight dinner’s can always be a bit of challenge. This recipe leverages ingredients you might already have on hand (or can be easily found at the store) with minimal dishes: hello easy! I love meals that use simple pantry staples like canned lentils. Lentils are such a great source of fibre and plant-based protein.  I highly recommend keeping cans of beans and lentils on hand, there are heaps of dishes that you can create with them in a pinch!

How to Make the Perfect Mashed Potatoes

First, I prefer using russet potatoes for mashed potatoes as they have a higher starch content. To make the perfect mashed potatoes, start with boiling your potatoes (I peel mine) until they’re nice and soft.  To test this simply pierce them with a fork. Use a ricer to create the smoothest mashed potatoes. If you don’t have a ricer you can use a potato masher or a handheld mixture to whip up the potatoes.

Be sure to mash your potatoes when they are hot.  This will result in a smoother mashed potato. I won’t lie, a generous hand with the butter and cream do take mashed potatoes to the next level (said my grandma) but you can add as much or as little as you wish.  We kept the potatoes simple in this recipe, just using butter, heavy cream, and salt. Roasted garlic would be so yummy mashed in to the potatoes too.

Make it Gluten Free & Vegan

This recipe is simple to make gluten free.  Simply use a gluten free soy sauce or tamari as well as a gluten free stock and either omit the flour or replace with 1-2 teaspoons of corn starch instead mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of water first. Make your mashed potatoes vegan by simply using Cashew Cream in place of the cream and vegan butter in place of the butter and be sure to use vegetable stock.

Lentil Mushroom Stew

5 from 2 votes

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Lentil Mushroom Stew

This lentil stew is fall comfort food, and having your mashed potatoes done from your prep makes it comes together so easily! If you don’t like mushrooms you can substitute them by adding an extra 1 cup of carrots and 1 cup of frozen green peas.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword lentil, Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom, Stew

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Fraîche

Ingredients

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• 2 lbs russet potatoes (peeled)
• 1/4 cup melted butter (or vegan butter)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (or cashew cream)
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Stew:

• 1 tablespoon butter (or vegan butter)
• 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
• 8 cups thick sliced mushrooms (brown or white)
• 2 cups sliced carrots (peeled)
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 540 mL can lentils (drained and rinsed)
• 2 cups stock
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

For the Mashed Potatoes:

1. In a large pot, add the potatoes and fill with salted water until they’re covered. Bring to a low boil and cook until your potatoes are soft and can be easily pierced with a fork. Prepare the stew while the potatoes cook.

2. Drain the cooked potatoes and mash with a potato masher, ricer or hand held electric mixer. Stir in the butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and set aside.

For the Lentil Stew:

1. While the potatoes cook, make the stew. In a large frying pan on medium heat add the butter and heat until melted. Add the diced onion and cook until soft and translucent, 4-5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrots and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Sprinkle the flour in the pan and stir, cooking for 1 minute. Add the lentils, stock, and soy sauce. Bring the stew to a simmer and cook until it has thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. While the stew simmers heat the mashed potatoes if needed (heat in the microwave, on the stove, or in the oven adding additional butter or milk as needed to loosen). Serve the stew over the mashed potatoes and enjoy!