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Easy lentil stew with mashed potatoes
Have you been looking for a quick and easy to make dinner? A dinner which contains healthy plant-based protein, fiber, and so much flavor? If yes, then definitely check out this easy lentil stew with mashed potatoes. It’s vegan, gluten-free, healthy, grain-free, and super delicious.
Mashed potatoes and lentils, a perfect match?
I love potatoes and mashed potatoes actually remind me of my childhood. My mom used to make them quite often but I don’t remember I ever ate lentils over mashed potatoes. After I saw an Instagram post from Minimalistbaker, one of my favorite bloggers, I fell in love with one of her dishes. She made an easy lentil stew over mashed potatoes and I knew I had to try this combo. And let me tell you, this combo is the bomb! A big thanks to Dana for this lovely recipe inspiration.
Easy lentil stew variations
If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed that I not only love potatoes but also rice. I post a lot of dishes with rice, for example, my beloved vegan chickpea curry or my creamy vegan mushroom risotto. This easy lentil stew also tastes great in combination with rice. So if you love to vary your dishes, definitely give it a try with rice as well.
Add your favorite veggies
I have made this easy lentil stew already a couple of times with mushrooms but I love to add different veggies as well. My favorite ones are chopped carrots, pumpkin, and zucchini. And never forget to add finely chopped pickles, they make this dish so special (thanks to my mom and dad for the inspo, haha).
This easy lentil stew with mashed potatoes is:
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Healthy
- Protein-rich
- Grain-free
- Easy to make
- Perfect for lunch or dinner
- Flavorful
Should you recreate my easy lentil stew, please leave a comment below and don’t forget to tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with @elavegan and #elavegan because I love to see your recreations.
Easy lentil stew with mashed potatoes
Ingredients
Lentil stew
- 1 cup dry lentils (190 g) (*see recipe notes)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp oil (for frying)
- 3 tbsp white wine (40 ml) (optional)
- 3 cups vegetable broth (720 ml)
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced (135 g) (*see recipe notes)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce (wheat free if GF)
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1-2 tsp each of dried parsley, thyme and oregano (use more, if fresh)
- A splash of coconut milk canned (for extra creaminess)
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch (to thicken)
- black pepper and chili flakes to taste
- Chopped pickles to taste (optional)
Mashed potatoes
- 4 medium-sized potatoes (600 g)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk canned (60 ml) (*see recipe notes)
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg (or more/less to taste)
- black pepper, sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse lentils under running water. I prefer to soak my lentils for about 15 minutes in lukewarm water but this step is optional (discard the water afterwards).
- Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, mushrooms (*see recipe notes). Heat oil in a skillet/frying pan, stir in the diced onion, the minced garlic and fry for 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Add mushrooms, dried parsley, thyme, oregano, white wine (optional), balsamic vinegar, soy sauce (or tamari/coconut aminos to taste) and fry for a further 3-5 minutes.
- Now add the lentils and 3 cups of vegetable broth and cook on low-medium heat (add more broth if needed) until the lentils are tender (about 20 minutes).
- In the meantime, peel and chop potatoes, transfer them to a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain. Transfer back to the pot, add coconut milk, nutmeg, black pepper and sea salt to taste and mash with a potato masher (don't use a food processor or blender).
- Once the lentils are tender, mix a generous splash of coconut milk and cornstarch in a small bowl and pour this mixture into the lentil stew. Cook for a further 1 minute or until the desired thickness is reached. Season again with soy sauce (if needed), black pepper, and chili flakes.
- Serve warm, garnish with chopped pickles and fresh herbs (optional).
Notes
- I typically use brown lentils which cook in about 20-25 minutes.
- If you don't like mushrooms, you can make this easy lentil stew with chopped carrots or pumpkin instead.
- You can use any other plant-based milk, however, I would recommend adding at least 1 tbsp of oil if you use e.g. almond milk, oat milk or rice milk since canned coconut milk is higher in fat.
If you are using Pinterest, feel free to pin the following photo:
Annelina says
May 27, 2018 at 5:45 amOh I love this recipe. Reminds of you the traditional German dish. Sending love to you.
Ela says
May 27, 2018 at 2:01 pmThank you, Annelina! I hope you will give it a try. 🙂
Lots of love,
Ela
Marilyn Marrero says
July 18, 2018 at 4:47 pmI did this recipe for the 1st time it was so delicious
Ela says
July 18, 2018 at 7:08 pmSo glad you liked my recipe! 🙂
Aayat says
September 2, 2018 at 2:29 amWhere can i find the recipe for green peas… i cant find
Ela says
September 2, 2018 at 5:00 pmNot sure which recipe you mean. This is an easy lentil stew. If you want to make it with peas, you can simply sub peas for lentils.
Mimi says
May 30, 2018 at 4:10 amI made this recipe today( no oil ) my family and I loved it so much thank you so much we really enjoyed it and definitely will make it again ????
Ela says
May 30, 2018 at 4:26 amYay, that’s awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know, Mimi .)
Em says
June 1, 2018 at 1:06 amAnother amazing recipe. You make it easy and delicious to be and stay vegan. Thank you for taking the time to share with us.
Ela says
June 1, 2018 at 7:28 pmThanks so much for your sweet compliment, Em. 🙂
Bianca Zapatka says
June 3, 2018 at 4:47 pmThis lentil stew looks so good to me!????
I love mashed potatoes and lentils! So I think I will definitely try the recipe!
Much love,
Bianca ????❤️
Ela says
June 5, 2018 at 2:18 amThat’s awesome, Bianca! I hope you will like my recipe. 🙂
Much love, Ela ❤️
Jodi says
June 5, 2018 at 4:45 amThis looks so scrumptious Ela ???? I lovvvvve potatoes, and mushrooms! I never would have thought to add pickles! Very interesting ????
Ela says
June 5, 2018 at 1:27 pmThank you, Jodi! Oh, you should definitely give it a try. Pickles and lentils are a great combo. ????❤️
Mary says
June 11, 2018 at 6:29 pmJust now making this. What kind of pickles?
Ela says
June 12, 2018 at 12:30 amI always add cornichons (mini cucumber pickles). 🙂
Hedy says
June 22, 2018 at 6:28 pmPregnant and am making this for dinner tonight! Hope I can do it justice, it’s already making my mouth water. Thanks for sharing it!
Ela says
June 23, 2018 at 12:38 amI hope it turned out delicious, Hedy. 🙂
Kevin Boleyn says
June 24, 2018 at 10:57 pmDelicious! I really enjoyed this meal. Thank you.
Ela says
June 25, 2018 at 2:31 amSo glad you enjoyed it, Kevin! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Dee | Green Smoothie Gourmet says
June 25, 2018 at 4:30 pmSo delicious and healthy Ela! I love the addition of white wine, that’s so interesting. Dee xx
Ela says
June 26, 2018 at 1:59 amThanks so much, Dee. Yes, adding wine adds so much flavor which I love.
I hope you will give it a try. 🙂
Wambugi says
June 27, 2018 at 8:02 pmJust finished stuffing myself with this awesome meal.. Although.i know I’ve had enough, I can’t stop and neither can my partner. Thankfully I almost tripled this recipe so there’s plenty of left overs for tomorrow’s lunch????????????
Thank you Ela ☘????☘
Ela says
June 28, 2018 at 12:52 amThat’s amazing! So happy it turned out yummy. 🙂
Kathy says
June 28, 2018 at 12:16 amThis recipe looks awesomely delicious!! I will probably have it will Mashed Cauliflower instead of the potatoes to cut down on the carbs, cannot wait to try this soon, thank you for sharing????????????
Ela says
June 28, 2018 at 12:52 amYou are welcome, Kathy! I hope you will like my recipe. 🙂
Caroline says
June 29, 2018 at 8:55 pmI’m 5 months pregnant and craving decadent comfort food — so this is the perfect hearty yet healthy and guilt-free fix for me these days! Added zucchini, pumpkin and carrots as well. Delish! The only teensy thing I didn’t like was the nutmeg in the potatoes, but I’ve since made the recipe twice without the nutmeg and now it’s a fave.
Ela says
June 30, 2018 at 2:56 amHey Caroline, I am glad you liked my recipe. Nutmeg in mashed potatoes is very common in Germany and most people absolutely adore it. But leaving it out is, of course, no problem at all. 🙂
Danijela says
July 9, 2018 at 11:51 pmHi could this be made in a slow cooker as sometimes i am time restricted?
It looks amazing as all your recipes do
Ela says
July 10, 2018 at 7:17 pmHello Danijela, never made this dish in a slow cooker but I guess it should work. Please report back if you give it a try. 🙂
Danijela Pulcini says
July 10, 2018 at 7:24 pmI will def thank you so much
Lesli Morrow says
March 21, 2019 at 2:26 pmHow did it go in the slow cooker?
Janice Ellen Beckinsale says
July 11, 2018 at 7:20 amHi Ela,
I made this recipe last night, and it was absolutely delicious. I’ts definitely going to be a regular meal in our house from now on. Perfect!
Ela says
July 11, 2018 at 5:42 pmThanks for your feedback, Janice! I am happy it turned out delicious. 🙂
Luci says
July 19, 2018 at 8:49 pmTried it for lunch today and it was so so delicious ! Having the leftovers for dinner with rice 🙂 thanks so much !
Ela says
July 20, 2018 at 2:46 pmYay, that’s wonderful! Thank you 🙂
Kealoha says
July 27, 2018 at 4:37 amThis was the the Best lentil dish! Thank you for this amazing recipe! Family and Children approved ????
Ela says
July 27, 2018 at 5:18 amYay, I am so happy you liked it. Thanks for taking the time to leave a nice feedback. 🙂
Bianca Cardoso says
August 6, 2018 at 6:59 pmHello!
Would i be able to use the already made lentils they sell in the produce section?
Ela says
August 8, 2018 at 12:55 amYes, I guess so. You will need to use way less broth though. 🙂
Alysha says
August 17, 2018 at 2:22 amCan this be easily altered to incorporate canned lentils?
Ela says
August 17, 2018 at 3:12 amHi, Alysha! Like already answered in the previous comment: “Yes, I guess so. You will need to use way less broth though. ????”
Kaitlyn says
August 19, 2018 at 9:37 pmI am so excited to try this. I am going to make it tonight, but I think I am going to make mashed sweet potatoes and regular mashed potatoes, simply because ALL three of my kids do not like mashed potatoes! Hopefully the sweet potatoes will work well!
Ela says
August 19, 2018 at 10:03 pmYes, I tried it once and liked it! I prefer regular mashed potatoes though. 🙂
Chiara says
August 28, 2018 at 10:32 pmI made this for dinner last night – just added carrots and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. It could do with a little more flavour – I’ll try adding more chilli flakes next time. Otherwise, this was a lovely meal – easy to prepare and no leftovers as people went back for seconds.
Chiara says
August 29, 2018 at 4:57 amI made these again today, but turned it into mini pot pies. I added shredded vegan cheese to the potatoes and put them on top of the pies. Worked beautifully.
Ela says
August 29, 2018 at 1:53 pmSo glad you liked my recipe, Chiara. 🙂
Krisgren says
January 25, 2019 at 1:39 amWhat a great idea for the pot pies!! I am so going to do that, thanks 🙂
Jessica says
September 8, 2018 at 3:35 pmThis recipe was fantastic. It’s the first I made from this site. I am not a vegan or vegetarian but I have been trying to decrease my consumption of meat and hope to one day become a vegetarian. Thank you for creating such a great recipe to add to my list of vegan recipes. I will be adding this recipe to my rotation of recipes. Also, I am not a big pickle person so I was hesitant about adding them but they worked well in this recipe.
Ela says
September 8, 2018 at 5:33 pmThank you, Jessica! I am very happy you liked my recipe. 🙂
Kim says
September 9, 2018 at 9:37 pmWas very good. I added carrots and kale.
Ela says
September 10, 2018 at 3:20 pmThat’s great! Thanks for your feedback, Kim. 🙂
Chantel says
September 14, 2018 at 2:35 pmIs there any way you can throw this into a pressure cooker? I can saute the yummy veggies. I just found your recipes and WOW!!! I am ready for some flavor 🙂
Ela says
September 14, 2018 at 7:34 pmThank you, Chantel! Even though I never tried it, I think it should be fine to make it in a pressure cooker. 🙂
Lesli Morrow says
March 21, 2019 at 2:29 pmDid you try to make in the pressure cooker? I want to try in crock pot or Intant Pot.
Ela says
March 22, 2019 at 10:38 pmI haven’t tried it in a pressure cooker yet! Should work fine though.
Anna says
September 23, 2018 at 1:11 pmHi. This looks yummy. I am still breastfeeding & my baby is allergic to coconut & wheat. I can figure out what to substitute for the coconut milk, but any suggestions for the soy sauce?
Ela says
September 23, 2018 at 1:18 pmHi Anna! You can simply use wheat-free soy sauce (that’s what I always use) or coconut aminos. 🙂
And any plant-based milk/cream will be fine.
Johan Kotze says
October 3, 2018 at 5:45 pmThis is a delicious recipe. Love the flavors in the stew. I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the mashed potatoes. Love the nutmeg in the mashed potatoes..
Ela says
October 3, 2018 at 6:13 pmSo glad you liked my recipe! Thanks for your feedback. 🙂
Dawn says
October 22, 2018 at 5:30 pmI have a silly question. Are brown lentils the same as French lentils?
Ela says
October 22, 2018 at 6:18 pmHi Dawn, I never heard of French lentils before but if the package says that they have the same cooking time as brown lentils then you can use them. 🙂
Claudi says
October 23, 2018 at 7:19 pmFrensh lentils are puy lentils
Natalie says
October 25, 2018 at 11:30 pmDid not make it vegan, but the recipe is ridiculously GOOD!
Gail says
October 29, 2018 at 10:16 pmThis has become a go to recipe for me. I use canned lentils when im in a rush and decrease the broth accordingly. Love this!!!
Ela says
October 30, 2018 at 1:08 amAwesome! Thanks a lot for your great feedback. ❤️
Gabriela says
December 8, 2018 at 4:02 pmMade this twice already, replaced the mushrooms with black beans (husband do not like mushrooms). One of my favorite recipes so far. Sooo good! Thank you!
Ela says
December 8, 2018 at 6:05 pmThanks a lot for your feedback, Gabriela! 🙂
Fran says
December 10, 2018 at 11:32 pmCan this be made ahead of time and frozen? Anyone trie? Getting ready for Christmas and would like to prepare ahead of time
thanks!!
Ela says
December 11, 2018 at 4:14 amI never tried it but I am pretty sure you could freeze the lentil stew.
Margaret says
December 18, 2018 at 6:12 amThis recipe looked so good I had to make it. Tastes great! I also added in some leftover carrots and probably a little more wine than you said. My grocery store only had the green lentils and they take a little longer to cook, but it was worth it. I’m definitely freezing some of it since I made the family size pot and there’s only one of me!
Ela says
December 18, 2018 at 1:24 pmThat’s amazing, Margaret! I am so glad it turned out delicious with green lentils. Thanks for your great feedback! 🙂
Diana says
January 6, 2019 at 12:44 pmI have made this recipe a couple of days ago and my boyfriend and I both loved it! And please mind he is not used to eating anything that does not have any kind of meat in it. So, thank you so much for the inspiration!
Ela says
January 6, 2019 at 1:23 pmYou are very welcome, Diana! Happy you liked my recipe. 🙂
Krisgren says
January 25, 2019 at 1:42 amThis turned out so good, a keeper for sure. I didn’t really make any substitutions or additions, I don’t think it really needed anything different. Thanks for this.
Ela says
January 25, 2019 at 3:55 amI am glad you loved the recipe! 🙂
Sarah Chen says
February 2, 2019 at 10:47 pmThis recipe turned out amazing! I added celery and carrots. I also made it in my crockpot and it came out great! I used sprouted green lentils too and served it over quinoa. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Ela says
February 3, 2019 at 4:51 pmFantastic! Thanks a lot for your great feedback, Sarah! 🙂
Melissa says
February 8, 2019 at 11:55 pmWe had this for supper tonight and it was DELICIOUS!
Ela says
February 9, 2019 at 4:10 amGlad you loved the recipe, Melissa! 🙂
Rachel Holdgrafer says
March 13, 2019 at 3:28 amSO GOOD. A woman in my yoga teacher training made this last weekend for our potluck and I literally danced my way into the eating area after taking a bite. I can’t wait to make it myself! Thank you for sharing it.
Ela says
March 13, 2019 at 1:45 pmAmazing! So happy you all liked it! Thanks for your feedback, Rachel. 🙂
Joumana Rushdi says
March 21, 2019 at 1:39 pmI love the recipe❤️ I made some modifications based on what’s available in my pantry but it still tasted really good. Thank you for the recipe❤️ I loved how simple it is, such recipes encourage me to cook more 👏🏼
Ela says
March 22, 2019 at 10:38 pmSo happy to hear! 🙂
Aysha Al Masrieh says
April 27, 2019 at 1:50 pmthis is absolutely yummy!!! I didn’t put pickles because I didn’t have some and instead put some olives and just a liiittle bit of bok choy…. and oh heavens! Unbelievably tasty
thank you so much for such a mouth-watering recipe
Ela says
April 27, 2019 at 2:12 pmSo glad you loved the recipe! 🙂
Dominika says
April 30, 2019 at 7:21 pmAmazing recipe! thanks to recipes/dishes like this one I might actually manage one day to convince my husband to go vegan;-) we both totally loved our and I’m just cooking more potatoes to have it again for lunch tomorrow!
Ela says
May 1, 2019 at 12:51 amSo happy you both loved the recipe! 🙂
Bernie Oldfield says
May 21, 2019 at 9:00 amThank you for another super easy and delious meal. The nutmeg in the mash is amazing.
I am finding I don’t even look anywhere else to find meals to cook. Your site is my go to website now. Thank You
Ela says
May 21, 2019 at 1:27 pmAwww, such a sweet compliment! Thanks so much, Bernie. 🙂
Hayley says
June 7, 2019 at 5:21 amThank you for this recipe, it was delicious! On regular rotation now 🙂
Ela says
June 7, 2019 at 2:04 pmWonderful! Thanks for your feedback, Hayley! 🙂
Virginia says
June 12, 2019 at 10:44 amThanks for sharing! Considering making this with delicata squash. Would you suggest pumpkin over another type of squash?
Ela says
June 12, 2019 at 1:56 pmDo you mean squash/pumpkin instead of mashed potatoes? I never tried it, so cannot say for sure. I would suggest baking the squash/pumpkin in the oven instea of boiling.