Vegan Lentil Stew

Cozy up with a bowl of this hearty vegan lentil vegetable stew topped with garlicky croutons. It's dairy and gluten free, meal prep friendly and packed with flavor!

We eat a whole lot of lentils here in the Crowded Kitchen household. They're my personal favorite vegan protein source! Contrary to popular belief, they can actually be pretty tasty, too.

This filling vegan stew is a wonderful use for lentils. It's packed with hearty vegetables like carrots, celery and onions, along with plenty of flavorful dried herbs. A touch of coconut milk adds creaminess and depth.

The stew is fantastic on its own, but it's extra delicious topped with homemade garlicky croutons! It's equally good with just about any kind of warm, fresh bread. Totally up to you.

Serve it up alongside a simple salad (this kale tahini caesar is a favorite) and a glass of wine. It's almost like being in the French countryside. (One can dream, right?!)

Which kind of lentils should I use?

French green lentils (also known as Puy lentils) are our legume of choice for this vegan lentil stew.

They’re smaller, darker in color, and more flavorful than regular green lentils. French lentils also don’t lose their shape when they cook (unless you overcook them), so they’re an excellent choice for this stew.

That being said, if you can’t find and French lentils or already have a lot of green or brown lentils on hand, feel free to use those instead. Black lentils will also work, as they hold up well when cooked.

Avoid red and yellow lentils, which tend to break down into mush when cooked. These lentils are best used in puréed soups, curries and purees.

Vegan Lentil Stew Ingredients & Substitutions

• Vegan butter: feel free to substitute 1:1 with olive oil!
• Vegetable base: carrots, onions, celery and garlic. These are the easiest (and probably cheapest!) options, but you could also substitute or add in sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, parsnips, shallots, etc.
• Vegetable broth: We used regular vegetable broth (not low sodium). If you use low sodium, you may want to add a touch more salt (unless you're actively watching salt intake! Or, make homemade broth from vegetable scraps.
• Coconut milk: You'll just need one cup, but it adds a ton of creaminess and depth to this stew. Feel free to sub with any vegan (unsweetened) creamer.
• White wine vinegar: all good soups need a bit of acidity to balance everything out. Feel free to sub with a splash of white wine while the vegetables are sautéing. Or, add a squeeze of lemon juice.
• Tomato paste: optional, but encouraged for more flavor and acidity.
• French green lentils: see section above on substitutions!
• Herbes de Provence blend: commonly available in most stores, it's a blend of herbs like parsley, rosemary, lavender, fennel, thyme, basil, etc. Feel free to sub with your own blend of herbs.
• Swiss chard: You can sub with another leafy green like kale.
• Fresh parsley: Optional, but freshens everything up!

Homemade garlicky croutons

Homemade croutons are a delicious topping for this vegan lentil vegetable stew. They're also super easy to make!

Any bread of choice will do. Slice up into cubes, then toss well in olive oil, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper until well coated. Bake in a 375˚ oven while the soup is simmering.

It only takes about 15 minutes for perfect, golden brown, crunchy croutons! Be sure to stir once or twice while cooking to make sure they're evenly cooked on all sides. Keep a close eye on the oven – they tend to go from "perfectly bronzed" to "burnt to a crisp" very quickly 😉

Meal prep & freezer tips

Meal prepping this soup? Follow the exact same cooking instructions. When you reheat the soup for eating, add another cup or two of broth as the lentils will soak up quite a bit.

Depending on how much broth you have to add, you may also have to add more seasoning, especially salt. Give it a try and season to your hearts desire!

To freeze this soup, leave it on the stove to cool completely. Then, transfer to a freezer-safe container (you can even use a reusable or plastic bag!), seal and freeze for up to 6 months.

When you're ready to use it, leave it to defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then, gently simmer until completely thawed over low heat. Again, you will probably have to add more broth to loosen it up. Just be sure to taste and re-season if necessary.

More favorite lentil recipes

Lentils are one of our favorite vegan protein sources. They're SO versatile and surprisingly tasty when prepared correctly! Once you've tried this lentil vegetable stew, give these recipes a try:

• Vegan Bolognese. Lentils replace ground beef in this meat-free bolognese recipe.
• Lentil Sweet Potato Curry Soup. One of our most popular soup recipes for good reason!
• Moroccan Carrot and Lentil Salad. Studded with golden raisins, pistachios and tossed in a citrusy Moroccan-spiced vinaigrette.
• Lentil Meatballs. These hearty vegan meatballs are made with lentils, brown rice and plenty of flavorful spices and herbs.
• Vegan Shepherd's Pie. Lentils are the perfect hearty filling for vegan shepherd's pie!
• Puréed Red Lentil Soup. A favorite in our house!

If you make this vegan lentil vegetable stew recipe, we’d love for you to leave a comment and rating below! We also love to see your creations on Instagram – tag us at @crowded_kitchen so we can see what you’ve been cooking.

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