Awhile back, I posed an important question on Instagram: what kind of recipes would you like to see more of? I got a lot of different responses, but some of the most common replies were:
- Gluten-free recipes
- Plant-forward dishes
- Savory comfort food
And today’s recipe for a Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew is all of those things! It’s vegan and gluten-free, heavy on plants, and definitely qualifies as delicious savory comfort food.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This stew boasts a healthy dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and protein from the lentils, mushrooms, garlic, and kale. And then gets hit with a flavorful mixture of tahini, miso paste, tamari, and coconut milk.
The resulting taste is electric and unique, packed with strong notes of umami and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. It’s the kind of comfort food you can feel good about eating without a single ounce of guilt.
Ingredient Rundown
Now that I’ve obviously sold you on this dish, let’s talk about the ingredients, shall we?
The heart of this dish are mushrooms and black beluga lentils. I use a combination of cremini mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms to balance out taste and cost. Shiitake mushrooms bring a bold, savory flavor, but since they are quite pricy, I only use a small portion and rely on inexpensive cremini mushrooms for the bulk of the stew.
And for the lentils, I absolutely adore black beluga lentils, which are tiny black lentils that look almost like caviar once cooked (hence the name beluga). They have a delicate yet full-bodied taste, absorb other flavors really well, and pair particularly well with meaty vegetables (hi, mushrooms).
I love using black beluga lentils because the lentils stay firm-ish in this stew, so it feels heartier and adds some textural differences (instead of having a one-note, soft, mushy stew). And second, the lentils take on the flavors of the remaining ingredients, including the earthy, umami-packed flavors of the mushrooms, miso, and tahini. And bonus: black lentils, like dark-colored fruits (i.e., blackberries and blueberries) contains anthocyanin, a powerful antioxidant that prevents cellular damage caused by free-radicals. #antioxidants
Substitute: black beluga lentils are sold in most grocery stores (or online), but if you can’t find them, use French green lentils (also called Puy lentils). They’re similar in size and texture and also hold their shape well when cooked.
If you’re looking for more flavor-forward lentil recipes, you gotta try my Lentil Salad with Fresh Herbs! And if it’s the big umami flavors you’re after, my Creamy Umami Noodle Soup with Crispy Mushrooms is out of this world.
Tips for cooking this recipe
To cook the lentils, the easiest method is to pressure cook them in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker. Just pop the lentils in the pot with the vegetable broth or water and flavoring ingredients and pressure cook for 6 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, I’ve also included stovetop instructions below.
While the lentils are cooking, you can work on the other part of the stew, which is quite easy once you’ve prepared all your ingredients. If I can be a bit of a food snob for a minute, I recommend using a high-quality tahini and balsamic vinegar. If your tahini is chunky or bitter, the stew is not going to taste as great as it could. And for the balsamic vinegar, if all you have is a cheap $2 vinegar, you’re better off adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice instead.
Serving suggestions
This Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew is hearty enough to serve on its own, but if you want to spread it across more mouths (or more days), serve it over a bed of your favorite grain (my choice would be millet or quinoa). Or, it’s great with a side of rustic, freshly baked bread (duh).
If you try this recipe out, be sure to leave me a comment below and tag me with your creation on Instagram!
Introducing
Big Vegan Flavor
Techniques and 150 recipes to master vegan cooking.
Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew
Ingredients
Lentils
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 spring of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup (200g) black beluga lentils (can substitute French green lentils)
- 1 3/4 cups (420mL) low-sodium vegetable broth or water (2 cups / 480mL) if cooking lentils on stovetop)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon for stovetop method)
- 8 whole black peppercorns
Mushroom Stew
- 2 tablespoons (28g) olive oil (you can use less if you’re using a nonstick pan)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces (~450g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 4 ounces (~110g) shiitake mushrooms (caps only), sliced
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup (60mL) dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)
- 1 ½ tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
- 3 tablespoons good-quality tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari (gluten-free soy sauce)
- 2 cups (480mL) low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (120mL) “lite” coconut milk or unsweetened oat milk, cashew milk, or soy milk
- 1 head of Tuscan lacinato kale, tough midribs removed and leaves sliced
- 1-2 teaspoons good-quality balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Lentils
- Use kitchen twine to tie the bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary (this makes it easier to fish them out of the cooked lentils). If you don't have twine, leave herbs whole.
- Cook the lentils – Instant Pot method: Add the lentils, herb bundle, 1 3/4 cups (420 mL) broth or water, 1/2 tsp salt, and peppercorns to the inner pot. Select the Pressure Cook setting at high pressure for a cook time of 6 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release. Drain the lentils and set aside.
- Cook the lentils – stovetop method: Bring the 2 cups (480 mL) broth or water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the lentils, herb bundle, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black peppercorns. Simmer the lentils for 20-25 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the lentils and set aside.
Mushroom Stew
- While the lentils cook, prepare the ingredients for the mushroom stew (chop the vegetables, measure out the ingredients, etc.).
- Heat a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently.While the onion cooks, in a glass, combine the miso, tahini, and tamari. Whisk well to dissolve the miso as best you can.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and let them sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. Stir, then season generously with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, thyme leaves, and red pepper flakes, and stir frequently until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and allow to bubble for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up any browned bits as needed, or until the smell of alcohol cooks off. Add the miso-tahini mixture and stir well into the mushrooms to coat them. Add the cooked & drained lentils, 2 cups (480 mL) vegetable broth, and the lite coconut milk. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
- Once it's boiling, turn off the heat. Carefully pour half of the stew into a stand blender. Blend until the mixture is completely pureed and smooth, and then pour the mixture back into the pot and stir to combine. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot to partially blend the stew.
- Once the stew has been partially blended, add in the sliced kale. Bring the stew to a boil until it is thick and creamy and the kale has wilted. Remove from the heat and stir in the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasonings and adjust to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this? Leave a rating below!
Thank you for this delicious recipe! Although I made a few changes like using dried morels (wild foraged) and powdered dried puff ball mushrooms (also wild) and omitted the kale, it was very filling and still outstanding!
Thanks for sharing, Lil!
Delicious!! As to the comments about the salt—I added no salt but tasted it about half way through and it was very salty. However after I added the kale and the balsamic vinegar it was balanced – love the combination of flavors especially the tahini comes through— and I’m surprised every time!
Skye, So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe!
Fantastic recipe – just finished making it. Wonderful rich flavors. I did reduce the salt and used coconut liquid aminos instead of soy sauce. I also added extra broth as I didn’t want blend it. Will definitely make it again. Looking forward to trying out some of your other recipes.
Great, Jamuna! We hope you love all the other recipes!
I was searching for a recipe with mushroom and lentils and came across your recipe. The hubby is trying out vegan meals so I thought I give this recipe a go. Boy, the hubby LOVED it! The first time I made it I used spinach because I didn’t have kale. The second time I used kale. Still came out delicious! Also, second time I only blended 1/3 of the soup instead of half and it was better for me. But the taste is unbelievable good. I love how you incorporate all these great flavors and make a vegan dish superb! Thank you.
Awesome, Isela. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Yum! Delicious recipe. This will definitely be going into recipe rotation in my house.
Danielle, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Holy mushroom this was delicious! You hit it out of the park with this one.
Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating alongside your review? Star ratings are big help to readers who are thinking of making the recipe. Thanks!
Excellent, rich flavour even with the subs below, and high protein/low calorie, which is a perfect combo. For me, this recipe is 6 generous servings. Maple syrup roasted carrots and parsnips made a great change of pace side dish.
Changes:
-1 tsp dried thyme vs fresh
-all cremini
-no red pepper flakes
-homemade soup stock (v low salt) instead of wine
-coconut aminos instead of soy sauce
-high protein almond milk instead of coconut
-chickpea miso
-250g frozen kale instead of fresh
Immersion blended with gusto.
Thanks for sharing, Paul!
This recipe is amazing. I’ve just finished making it and I’m head over heels in love ! Every one of your recipes delivers right on point Nisha! I used soy milk instead of coconut milk and it turned out great.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Teresa!
I wasn’t sure about this recipe, but got curious about the black beluga lentils so I decided to try it. First, the black beluga lentils have a really interesting smell, and after they were cooked according to the directions in this recipe, they tasted really good by themselves. As far as the stew goes, it was SOOOO good! My husband and 15 year-old daughter (who really only wants to eat at Taco Bell every day) also loved it, so that’s a definite win! I always love bread with my stew, but honestly, this stew was so good by itself that for me the bread was superfluous. Will definitely be making this again and again.
Awesome, Krissy. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I made this recipe exactly as written, using a homemade vegetable stock which is very low in sodium, and the instant pot for the black beluga lentils.
The final result was almost too salty to enjoy. During step #6, when the recipe said to add a generous amount of salt and pepper, I decided to add 1/2 tsp of Penzey’s Kosher Salt. This was a huge mistake. There is also 1/2 tsp of kosher salt in the lentils, and sodium in the ‘reduced sodium tamari (San-J brand)’ and white miso paste. (I measured my ingredients carefully, so I know I didn’t add too much.)
If you are going to make this, I recommend adding 1/4 tsp kosher salt to the lentils, and just a pinch to the mushrooms as they are sauteing. I would start with 1 Tbsp of low sodium tamari and miso paste, and see how it tastes at the end.
Like other reviewers, I did not like the texture of this dish once it was blended. I would consider leaving out the tahini and/or not blending it at all.
Sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of the recipe, Molly, but we appreciate your feedback nonetheless.