If you are a veggie lover, this recipe is for you!
Lentil stew with a million vegetables in it!
This is one of those recipes where you feel super healthy and full of energy when you’re done eating, not the slightest bit sluggish or weighed down. It’s perfect for starting the new year off on a healthy foot… especially if your new year’s resolution is to eat more veggies.
The stew has a million of them, remember?
Eh, close enough. 
A few days before Christmas, I stocked up on a million veggies (with an emphasis on mushrooms) from the Asian market, and this stew was a way to use them all up! The recipe is adapted from a lentil tagine recipe found in The Whole Foods Cookbook, and it’s the same lentil-veggie stew pictured in the post about what I ate for Christmas dinner.
“1 Million Dollar” Vegetable Stew
(with an option for slow-cooker lentil stew)
- 1.5 cups onion, chopped (190g)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (15g)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (If desired, you can get away with 1 tbsp. Technically you can omit; it will just be better and more flavorful with the oil)
- 1 1/2 cups bell peppers, sliced or diced (350g)
- 4-6 carrots, sliced (95g)
- 1 cup celery, chopped (140g)
- 6 cups sliced mushrooms (Any variety will do; feel free to mix and match. I used 300g button mushrooms, 150g portabellas, and 350g shiitakes)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar (30g)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (30g)
- 2 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 1/3 cup dry lentils (200g) (See nutrition link below for all substitution notes)
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock (360g)
- 2 15oz cans diced tomatoes (I used regular, not unsalted.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 5oz box raw spinach
- 1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest (important)
Heat a large saucepan, then add the oil and onion. Sauté 5 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Add the garlic, peppers, carrots, and celery, and cook 5 more minutes. Then add everything else up to the cumin, and cook 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Now add all but the spinach and lemon zest. (If you have a crockpot, you can transfer the ingredients to your crockpot at this time.) Cover and cook on low until the lentils are soft and have absorbed most of the liquid– it takes about an hour on the stovetop. Time will vary if you use a slow cooker, depending on the strength and size of your particular crock pot. Add spinach and lemon at the very end, and cook 2-3 minutes until the spinach wilts. This recipe makes 8 servings (or 6 larger “Katie-sized” servings).
View Lentil Stew Nutrition Facts
Also see above link for substitution notes.
The stew sounds lovely! Though I think I’d make it using split peas instead of lentils – Although I used to LOVE them , turns out I’m allergic 🙁 Rather annoying for a vegan!
I always feel healthy after eating salads, or raw meals 🙂 They take a bit more time to prepare, but I always feel so refreshed! Zuchinni noodles, with tomatoes and a nut-cheese sauce is my favourite, and I start the day with a salad =] Strange to some, but hey we have to do what’s right for us! Love the dress by the way =] Happy new year!
Excellent. Does one really have to cook the vegetables before the crockpot?? I get the onions but the rest? Can’t wait to try.
I just made this, and it was delicious! I love how there are so many fresh vegetables in it. 🙂 I even used diced tomatoes from our garden that my grandma had canned! I am definitely set for meals for the week!
I always feel healthy after eating fruits and vegetables, or anything unrefined. I like knowing that what I am putting in my body is natural!
This recipe is SO delicious! I halved it (made it for myself) and since I can’t stand mushrooms I replaced them with extra carrots and bell peppers. I was so nervous to add the lemon peel as I thought it’d taste lemony – but it turned out so well and not lemony at all 🙂
I’ll definitely make this again, it’s such an awesome way to get veggies and protein!! thanks Katie!
And in answer to your question, I always feel healthy when I eat veggies raw or cooked in mass amounts (ie in recipes like this), drink homemade smoothies, eat oatmeal….basically everything in my diet, actually. I avoid GMOs, am Celiac so can’t eat gluten, am vegetarian, and basically that leaves unrefined grains & fruits & veggies…and Endangered Species dark chocolate of course. yum yum!! 😀
I made this last week and was so in love with it that I shared your website and recipe at my Weight Watcher meeting this week. The leader even wrote your website down on the board to share for the rest of the day. Hopefully you will get some new followers and I will lose another 4lbs next week. Thank you for the great recipes!
This is simmering on my stove right now. It smells lovely! Both kids like the smell (2 yr and 8 yr) but we will see how they eat it. 🙂 One is picky and the other doesn’t like mushrooms.
Thanks for the great recipe!
This is the first (of hopefully many!) recipes I’ve made from your website. It turned out great!! 5 stars for sure and I can’t wait to make it again!! Thank you for sharing!
I guess I’m in the minority, but I did find the recommended amount of lemon zest overwhelming. It seemed like too much to me but I went ahead and added it all. I would recommend adding a little at a time and tasting as you go, or letting each diner add it his or herself. My husband definitely noticed the lemon but still liked it, while I thought the dish tasted like I added soap! Adding soy sauce helps, but I can tell it would have been delicious with less lemon so I will definitely make it again.
Woah. I guess I’m the minority too. I love all the veggies but adding the lemon just threw the flavor of this dish way off for me. I did what Hallie recommended and balanced that soapy lemon flavor out with tamari. It made all the difference and now I enjoy the stew! Oh and instead of sauteeing in the beginning I just added everything to the crockpot (except spinach and lemon…. and tamari) and cooked on low for 6 1/2 hours. Texture came out perfect for anyone wondering.
I finally got around to making this; it’s delicious. Thanks so much for posting this one. I love soups and stews, especially this time of year. I think the only change I’ll make to this next time is to chop the mushrooms into small pieces instead of slices. One of my roommates doesn’t like the texture of mushrooms. But he’ll eat them just fine if they blend in with the rest of the ingredients.
Green smoothies. The ones that are half spinach and the other half Greek yogurt, raspberries, blueberries and water. Makes me feel AMAZING!!