Hearty Red Lentil Vegetable Stew

Red lentils fall apart as they cook, and in this red lentil stew that is the whole idea. They break down into a thick, spoonable base that holds pieces of sweet potato, browned cremini mushrooms, carrot, and red bell pepper, seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, and a little turmeric. Spinach goes in at the end, then lemon juice and parsley. It’s vegan, made in one pot in a little over an hour, and makes about 10 cups.

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What Goes Into the Pot

Red lentils are split and hulled, so they cook in about 20 minutes and lose their shape. That is different from the brown or green lentils in most lentil soups, which stay whole. Don’t swap them here: whole lentils would give you a brothy soup with separate lentils instead of a stew. Rinse them in a sieve until the water runs mostly clear to wash off the dusty starch that can make the pot foam.

Sweet potato should be cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Smaller pieces turn to mush by the time the lentils are done, and larger ones may still be firm in the center. One medium sweet potato gives about 2 cups.

Cremini mushrooms release a lot of water. They need 6 to 8 minutes in the pot on their own, after the onion has softened, until that liquid evaporates and the edges brown. That browning gives the stew a savory depth that keeps it from tasting only of tomato and spice.

Low-sodium vegetable broth matters because the stew reduces as the lentils absorb liquid, which concentrates the salt. Starting low-sodium lets you season at the end.

The spices are mostly warm and earthy rather than hot. Smoked paprika adds a faint smokiness, cumin and coriander give the stew its savory backbone, and the turmeric deepens the color and adds a mild bitterness that the lemon balances later. Turmeric stains wooden spoons and pale enamel, so rinse the spoon soon after cooking.

Making the Stew

Build the base. Soften the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil over medium heat for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until their liquid has cooked away and they start to brown.

Toast the paste and spices. Add the garlic, bell pepper, tomato paste, and all of the dried spices and stir for about 2 minutes. The tomato paste darkens a shade and the spices smell toasted rather than raw.

Simmer. Stir in the lentils, sweet potato, diced tomatoes with their juice, and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the pot bubbles gently, set the lid ajar, and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes or so, scraping the bottom: red lentils settle as they soften, and they can stick and scorch on the bottom of the pot.

Use a pot of at least 6 quarts. The stew makes about 10 cups, and a smaller pot leaves no room to stir properly once the lentils thicken.

How Thick Should It Be?

When the red lentil stew is done, the lentils should be fully broken down and the stew should mound slightly on a spoon, with a sweet potato cube that crushes easily against the side of the pot. That consistency comes from the ratio: 1 1/2 cups of red lentils absorb roughly three times their volume in liquid, and 5 cups of broth plus a can of tomatoes leaves just enough to keep it loose.

Pots, burners, and lentil batches differ, so use your eyes rather than the clock. If it gets too thick to stir before the sweet potato is tender, add water 1/4 cup at a time, up to 1 cup. If it looks thin at 25 minutes, simmer with the lid off for 5 more minutes. For a brothier lentil soup with whole lentils, our French lentil soup takes the opposite approach.

Spinach, Lemon, and the Final Seasoning

Take the pot off the heat before the last additions. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time; it wilts in about 2 minutes from the stew’s own heat. Then add the lemon juice and parsley.

Now taste. The recipe calls for only 1/2 teaspoon of salt because broths vary so much, and with low-sodium broth most pots need another 1/2 teaspoon or more. Add it gradually. The lemon is there to brighten the earthy lentils and smoked paprika; if the stew still tastes flat after salting, another teaspoon of lemon juice usually fixes it. Lentils and tomatoes don’t need much acid, so go a little at a time.

Serving It

Ladle it into wide bowls. It’s thick enough to eat on its own, and it also goes well with crusty bread. More bean and legume pots are worth trying, including this chickpea soup and a smoky cowboy bean soup, or browse the full soup collection.

Leftovers, Reheating, and Freezing

A red lentil stew keeps thickening as it sits because the lentils go on absorbing liquid. By the next day it will be much thicker, almost a paste when cold. That’s normal. Cool it in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; it keeps for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a splash of water or broth (start with 1/4 cup for 2 servings) and warm it on the stove, stirring, until it simmers and reaches 165°F. Taste again after reheating, since added water dilutes the seasoning.

The stew freezes well for up to 3 months. The spinach softens a bit more, and the sweet potato holds its shape. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat with extra liquid the same way.

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