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This vegan lentil stew is hearty, satisfying, and made in just one pot. It features green lentils simmered in a beer-infused broth with potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms. A wholesome, deeply comforting meal that the whole family will love!
One-pot meals have been my lifesavers lately, and this one might be my favorite. I love lentils for a couple of reasons: they require no soaking, cook in under 20 minutes, and are incredibly filling and high in protein. Combine that with a handful of vegetables, and you have a full dinner with almost no effort.
What makes this stew a little different is that it skips the tomatoes entirely. It is cooked the French way, simmered in a light broth of vegetable stock and beer for complexity. No cream, no heaviness, just a deeply savory stew that somehow tastes like it has been simmering all day.
⭐️ Why This Lentil Stew Is So Good
- Hearty and savory. Lentils, plenty of mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots make this dish super rustic and hearty. Serve it with a warm slice of crusty bread, and you’ve got yourself a dinner that will warm you up from the inside!
- Made with wholesome ingredients. If you have a box of dried lentils in your cupboard, you’ll just need a few vegetables and pantry staples. No weird or hard-to-find ingredients in this recipe.
- Prepared in one pot. This means you will have fewer dishes to clean. Win-win!
🥔 Ingredient Notes
You can scroll down to the recipe card for the exact ingredient measurements.
- Green lentils – I used French lentils (lentilles du Puy) here, which is why they appear a bit darker in the photos. Green lentils or even brown lentils work.
- Shallot and garlic – Feel free to replace the shallots with one small onion.
- Beer – Beer brings complexity and depth to this stew. I like to use amber ale for a deeper flavor, but golden ale also works. Not into beer? Check out the FAQ below for instructions on replacing it.
- Carrot
- Potatoes – Use waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold or Red Gold. Fingerling potatoes work too. Cut them into 1-inch (2.5 cm) quarters.
- Mushrooms – Pick your favorite type of mushrooms. I like cremini, but oyster, white button, or shiitakes are good options.
- Green peas – You can use either frozen or fresh peas.
- Salt, pepper, thyme – To season the stew. You can replace the thyme with dried oregano or rosemary.
- Maple syrup – To balance the subtle bitterness of the beer. Don’t worry, the stew doesn’t taste sweet. No maple syrup? Use granulated sugar or light brown sugar.
🥣 How to Make It
- Heat the oil. Once hot, add the minced shallot and garlic to the pot.
- Sauté. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until fragrant and slightly golden.
- Add the mushrooms and carrots. Next, add the diced mushrooms and carrots.
- Sauté. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the green lentils, potatoes, green peas, seasonings, vegetable broth, and beer.
- Simmer. Partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Serve. Once the lentils and potatoes are tender, give them a good stir. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
📔 Thomas’ Tips
Do not overcook the lentils. To prevent the stew from becoming mushy, stop cooking as soon as the lentils are tender. It should take around 20 minutes once boiling.
Adjust the seasonings. Because not all brands of vegetable stock are equally salty, it’s important to taste the stew and adjust the salt accordingly. I suggest starting with half of the salt and adding more at the end of cooking if needed.
🥖 Serving Suggestions
We love to have this stew with a slice of rustic bread, but it also goes well with:
- Sausages: Green lentils and sausages are the perfect match. Pick either vegan Frankfurter, vegan sausage patties, or vegan chipolata.
- Tofu: Baked, air-fried, or smoked tofu.
- Meatballs: My gluten-free vegan meatballs go so well with this stew!
❄️ Storing and Reheating
- To store: You can store this stew for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
- To freeze: Freeze it in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- To reheat: Reheat covered over medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
💬 FAQs & Troubleshooting
You can replace the beer with apple cider or white wine. For an alcohol-free option, pick either an alcohol-free beer or replace it with vegetable broth and a tablespoon of vinegar. If using vegetable broth, reduce the amount of salt slightly.
Yes. After simmering, the amount of alcohol left is insignificant.
Yes, this stew reheats very well and tastes as good as on day one!
If your stew appears too thick, you can add more vegetable broth toward the end of cooking.
No, I do not recommend using red lentils for this recipe. They would break down and yield a different flavor.
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Vegan One-Pot Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 2 medium shallots minced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 cup (110 g) cremini mushrooms finely diced
- 1 carrot peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) slices
- 1 cup (245 g) dried green lentils
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and sliced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2/3 cup green peas
- 2 and 1/2 cup (600 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 and 1/2 cup (360 ml) beer
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) maple syrup
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the shallot and garlic and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant and slightly golden.
- Add the mushrooms and carrots. Next, add the diced mushrooms and carrots and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Add the green lentils, potatoes, green peas, vegetable broth, beer, maple syrup, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to a simmer and partially cover the pot with the lid, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and potatoes are tender.
- Serve hot with bread or vegan sausages! You can store this stew in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
About the Author
Thomas Pagot is the founder, photographer, and recipe developer behind Full of Plants. He created the blog in 2016 as a personal cookbook for vegan recipes. Through years of recipe development, Thomas has successfully grown Full of Plants into a trusted resource for plant-based recipes.
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