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!
One of my favourite dishes ever! I’m not even vegan!!! I make a big batch then freeze it in single serving portions for future lunches/dinners. Excellent work Nisha!
Your review made our day, Vanessa! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and for trying out the recipe.
This was fantastic! I added a small handful of carrot pieces and used bok choy since it was the only green I had on hand. Mahalo for another beautiful dish full of flavor and balance. Sharon from Honolulu
Thanks for sharing, Sharon! We’re happy you loved the stew.
This is a really lovely recipe. Just what I wanted: mushrooms, lentils, kale; comforting winter meal with a nice luxurious depth of flavour. Spot on!
We’re so glad the recipe hit the mark for you, Alina! 🙂
absolutely delicious. the only tiny little negative was that it was a little too spicy for me so I think I’ll omit the chilli next time. apart from that it was everything I had hoped it would be and I didn’t have to tweak anything which is rare. it was the first time using beluga lentils and I was really excited to try them. I’m glad I chose this recipe for my first try.
We’re happy you enjoyed the recipe overall despite it being a bit too spicy, Cherie. Thank you for the feedback!
It was a big hit. I was a little skeptical reading the list of ingredients, but the result was very satisfying (we are experienced cooks, very often disappointed when we go out to eat). We will make this again, and soon. Thank you!
Hey Catherine! Wow, I can feel your enthusiasm about this recipe through the screen! Love it!
Well, my non vegetarian family thought this was weird ( although the next day it tasted pretty good). But for non vegetarians, it needed more chew. I sautéed another 8 ounces of mushrooms, added a can of cannellini beans and sprinkled on some walnuts. Next time I make it, I will use those changes but also leave out the tahini, which I think was what prompted the “weird” comment.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us, Penny. We appreciate your honest review but hope going forwared you’ll be more impressed with the recipes!
I reduced the total added salt to 1/4 teaspoon, used in cooking the lentils, and the sodium level was perfect (my vegetable broth contained salt). The next time I would increase the wine to 1/3 cup and other than that, I thought it was a perfect recipe! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Christina. We’re happy you found the recipe tasty!
This is delicious and nutritious for vegetarian and non vegetarians alike. This deserve 10 stars !!!!
Thank you for such a lovely review, Eton! 🙂
This was super delicious with tons of umami flavor. It did turn out super salty for me. If I remade it, I’d either use water in the lentils or skip the extra salt if cooking them in broth, and maybe start with 1T each of miso and tamari. I probably accidentally gave the tamari a heavy pour. I served it with rice and added a little extra wine and some balsamic reduction on top and with the starch and extra acid it was near perfect.
Thanks for the lengthy review, Adele! It makes us happy to hear you enjoyed the stew.
This deserves 6 stars!
Aww, thanks for the wonderful compliment, Barbara!
I didn’t have all the ingredients but it was still one of the best things I’ve made in a while. I can’t wait to make it properly! I think this will definitely be a staple this fall and winter.
Hi Barbara, 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!