I can’t believe I’m sharing a pantry-friendly stew recipe here with you in April, but springtime in Ontario is a bit of a cruel joke, so here we are. Cozy and smoky red lentil stew is still necessary with these single digit temps. This quick pot is from a new-ish cookbook by Sonja and Alex Overhiser, the power duo behind A Couple Cooks!
Sonja and Alex are probably the most genuinely nice people you could ever meet. Their vegetarian cookbook follows with that same warm intent. It’s filled with 100 accessible recipes that will call to new cooks, but will also remind people like me to simplify and remember what is at the heart of cooking itself.
Their lessons for a good life in the kitchen are woven throughout Pretty Simple Cooking. Their words are honest, real, and truly felt. You know that they want you to be successful, to have fun, and to feel nourished and energized at the end of it all.
I went to this smoky red lentil stew on another day of unexpected snowfall. The base of onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and spices is super classic, but also smoky with an ample helping of smoked paprika. The red split lentils make for a good hit of satiation that simmers to soft completion quickly. Perfect with crusty bread, a nice salad, and a heap of warm and fluffy grains.
This smoky red lentil stew hits the right note of comforting, easy-casual-wholesome. It’s truly quick, and easy to throw together on a whim. I know I’ll be making versions of it as we wait for warmer days.
For all my peeps that are still waiting on Spring: I’m here for you! Make some stew in the meantime. More soup inspiration in the form of a creamy white bean stew with kale, rosemary & lemon, or my golden coconut broth bowls with crispy tofu.
Free Pantry & Kitchen Equipment Guide
Everything you need for flavourful vegan meals that everyone will love, from my kitchen to yours.
Smoky Red Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large carrots, small dice
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 2 stalks celery, small dice
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ¼ cups red lentils, rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from ½ a large lemon)
- chopped fresh herbs for serving (see notes)
Notes
- From: Pretty Simply Cooking: 100 Delicious Vegetarian Recipes to make You Fall in Love with Real Food by Sonja & Alex Overhiser
- Sonja and Alex suggest topping this stew with some plain Greek-style yogurt, chopped cilantro or parsley, and a squeeze of lemon. I didn’t have either of the herbs or any coconut milk yogurt on hand, so I just tore up some dill, added a sprinkle of Aleppo pepper, a drizzle of good olive oil, and the little lemon spritz.
- I went completely by the book for this recipe! Just added one packed cup of chopped kale at the end and let it wilt into the stew :)
- I’m not sure why, but I’m slightly obsessed with the idea of ladling this lovely stew into a piping hot baked potato. Could be great, right? Will update here when I try it.
Instructions
- In a large pot or deep braiser, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, onion, and celery. Stir and saute until the onion is translucent, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pot and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, add the balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne, and lentils. Give everything a big stir.
- Add the vegetable stock, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir and bring the stew up to a simmer. Cover the pot halfway with a lid and let the stew simmer for about 7-10 minutes, depending on your preferred doneness of the lentils. I went the full 10 minutes because I was aiming for a creamier texture. Stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve the stew hot with chopped fresh herbs and extra lemon.
WOW this is a new favorite recipe!! I’m not the biggest fan of smoked paprika, so I did about 1.5 tbsp rather than 2 tbsp, but I was delighted by how the smokiness blends into the recipe and really elevates it. Happy to have found a use for smoked paprika at last! This stew is so comforting, delicious, and really easy to make. Is it freezeable?
Hi Yuki! Glad you enjoyed this stew. It does freeze very well. You may want to add a few splashes of water/stock to it once you’re reheating it though.
-L
I’m obsessed with this meal! The only thing I would hangs is maybe adding a bit of brightness to it besides the lemon juice
What a wonderful recipe! I am not a huge fan of lentil soup but the smoked paprika makes it very palatable for me. Thank you for posting.
This is absolutely delicious!. I increased the cumin to 1 teaspoon and the cayenne pepper to 1/2 a teaspoon because I love the taste and enjoy those spices in my food. I also simmered the stew for about 30 mins to get the creamier texture. Definitely a 5 star recipe.
Lovely meal. I added slightly more balsamic vinegar 2 tbs. But wow what a meal.
This was sooo fricken delicious! I also doubled the balsamic and added more carrots but both because I’m a rebel Lol. All I had were baby so I had no idea how much 2 carrots would produce. And the smoked paprika!
This stew was refreshingly different from most lentils recipes. While I love curries, this departure was welcomed with open arms and it gives me back.
I added extra balsamic, prob double or more because I liked the depth it added, and the smell of it mixing with the paprika was HEAVEN! I also love vinegars, so it wasn’t a stretch for me. I also added ground coriander, a bay leaf, and potatoes that I needed to use (per someone’s suggestion below.) I finished it off with some fresh spinach that I let wilt. I hate curry with a passion and this was the first recipe I found that wasn’t curry. I freeze dried this run to preserve it since I had to eat other things up, but need to make it again just to eat it up. I am not even vegan. I will make this forever. It is simply amazing. Hearty, beautiful in color, and delicious. Thank for this gem! Can I give 10 stars??
Flavorful! Got rave reviews from our guests.
Love this stew! I’ve been trying over and over to get the flavor right of various lentil stews, and this one was perfect. I did add an extra cup of broth because of the thickness, but that’s it! Thank you!!
Awesome recipe! Definitely a keeper.
I also added a bag of spinach at the very end for more nutrition and colour.
Spinach addition is genius for more nutrition! Will definitely do that next time.
Sooooo delicious. Great fall comfort food. I added Kale at the end.
Currently the best red lentil recipe I have to date. It’s quick, easy, inexpensive, simple, and so so so flavourful – it’s absolutely delicious! It’s an instant easy save for one of the best recipes to ever make when one has these ingredients stored and ready. Thank you for adding this into my life!! Incredibly flavourful, inexpensive, and very very simple. Well done!
I didn’t make your recipe yet but would LOVE to try it with some Beluga or French lentil…cause for me red lentil our used for making Dahl. What do you think?
It’s getting pretty hot right now so maybe I should wait to make this stew in a colder weather,
I will stick on lentil salads for a while during this warm weather.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us f have a great day!
Amazing! (Added Kale)
Really quick and delicious dish added coriander, bay leaf, spinach and tomato puree. Think next time would try dicing some potato in there too to bind it more.
Love this stew, I wilted some baby spinach leaves in the stew, added chopped coriander and parsle and toped with yoghurt. Delicious, thank you.