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!
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Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew
Ingredients
Lentils
- 1 cup (~200g) black beluga lentils (can substitute French green lentils)
- 1 3/4 cups (420mL) low-sodium vegetable broth or water (2 cups (or 480mL) if cooking lentils on stovetop)
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 spring of fresh rosemary
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon if cooking lentils on stovetop)
- 8 whole black peppercorns
Mushroom Stew
- 2 tablespoons 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
- Sift through the lentils to remove any debris or pebbles. Then place them in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse under cold water until the water runs clear.
- To make the lentils in the Instant Pot, combine all of the Lentils ingredients in the inner pot and stir to combine. Select the Pressure Cook setting (or Manual setting, depending on your model) at high pressure for a cook time of 6 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release.
- To make the lentils on the stovetop, add the lentils to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add the 2 cups of vegetable broth or water. Add the remaining ingredients (thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black peppercorns). Bring the water a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and add a pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils for 20-25 minutes until just tender.
- While the lentils are cooking, prepare the ingredients for the mushroom stew (chop the vegetables, measure out the ingredients, etc.).
- To make the mushroom stew, 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 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the sliced cremini and shiitake mushrooms and let them sit undisturbed for 3 minutes to allow them to brown. Then stir the mushrooms, and add a generous amount of kosher salt and pepper. Add the garlic, thyme leaves, and crushed red pepper flakes, and stir to combine until the mixture is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the white wine and deglaze the pan for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits as needed. Then add the miso paste, tahini, and tamari and stir into the mushrooms to coat them. Add the cooked and drained lentils, 2 cups vegetable broth, and lite coconut milk. Stir well, and bring the stew to a boil.
- Once the stew is boiling, carefully pour half of it 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 blended, add in the sliced kale. Bring the stew to a boil until it is thick and creamy and the kale has wilted. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
Just made this today. It is so good!!!
Glad you. love it, Jennifer!
Love this recipe!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Maria!
I made this lovely recipe yesterday and was a little hesitant because it included Tahini which I haven’t been ably to get on with because of the strong taste, I decided to give it a go just adding a little at first, I am so glad I did as it was balanced by the miso and tamari. We loved it and will definitely make it on a regular basis. Thank you so much.
Hi Maureen, 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!
I used half beluga lentils and half buckwheat (cooked separately) and it ended up great! Added the buckwheat with the kale at the end, so it didn’t get blended (this was all because I ran out of the lentils and really needed to make this dish :) Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Olga! We are so glad you loved the stew!
Nutrition content?
Hi Deb, we don’t include nutrition facts on our recipes for a few reasons. If you’d like to read more as to why, you can do so at this link: https://rainbowplantlife.com/welcome/.
Many of our readers use apps like MyFitnessPal to calculate nutrition facts for their own purposes. Hope that helped!
I knew I would like this stew, but I LOVE IT! My husband is vegan and I am lactose intolerant and love veg, so I like to find hearty things to make we can both eat. I would say definitely chop up a whole onion. I used premade lentils (thanks Target!) and substituted the wine for a bit of white vinegar. If I could do it over again, I would leave the mushrooms in bigger chunks. We ate the whole thing… Will definitely be making this again!
Awesome, Cathy. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This wasn’t of the prettiest looking soups but it was absolutely DELICIOUS! Paired with some homemade bread, so good! Amazing recipe as usual :) I can’t wait to make it again already!
Ooooh, homemade bread sounds wonderful! So glad you love the stew, Lauren!
incredible, one of my all time favorites.
John, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
The taste was wonderful (I used what I had on hand which was spinach instead of Kale as white and portobello mushrooms) ….your photo is beautiful and very appetizing – a nice light golden stew you can see the greens and mushrooms, but mine….. looked that a big pot of dark brown “you know what”. Luckily I have adult kids that joked about it but still ate it.
Sorry to hear the stew didn’t turn out as pretty but we are happy it at least turned out tasty! :)
I forgot to leave stars with my comment. Five!
I got beluga lentils for the first time and this was recipe caught my eye. I had several substitutes as using what I had on hand. Just a tub of brown mushrooms from Costco, almond butter for tahini, extra tamari for miso, and skipped the wine entirely. Nonetheless, the results are delicious and I will make this again when I have all of the ingredients on hand. Thank you!
Karla, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
This recipe was amazing, the deep complex flavors stood out. Even my non-vegan 21 year old gave it an 8 out of 10 for flavor! That’s high praise :)
Awesome, we are so happy to hear it Sandi! Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Hi, what can I substitute the white wine with or is it okay to leave out?
Hi Natasha, you can just substitute 1/4 cup vegetable broth instead of using the wine.
We hunt wild edible mushrooms, and I had Maitake in my freezer, which I substituted for the crimini and shiitake. It was one of the best soups I’ve ever made! My kid called it “restaurant food.” And gave it 10/10.
Jinjer, So glad to hear you and your family loved this recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
This is the most delicious meal I’ve made in a while! Incredibly healthy, easy and flavorful.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Vera!
I can never leave any recipe alone!! Thinking of adding carrots and potatoes. Any thoughts?
Hi Barnett, that should work! cut them into smaller bite sized chunks and add them 5-10 minutes into the simmer. The carrots can be added shortly thereafter. Enjoy!
This is SO GOOD! My new favorite stew recipe that will be made again and again. Thank you so much for sharing!
Awesome, Catalina. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This is one of the yummiest things I have ever eaten. I subbed button and portobello mushrooms because I had those on hand, and I used curly kale, but followed the rest of the recipe as is. I have raved about it to friends and shared the recipe many times! Can’t wait to make it again!
Awesome, Olivia. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Amazing dish, thank you. So flavourful and simple, it was ready in 30 min max. My husband was happy, Beluga are his favourite lentils. Indeed they are one of the best choice, they have good texture and sweet taste by nature. Thank you!
That’s great to hear, Stela! Thanks for leaving a review :)
Very flavorful dish! Love the way the flavors come together and meld. This is a rich, filling stew, as well. I will definitely make this again.
Wow! So amazing! I’m keeping this recipe for sure. I accidentally bought a can of black lentils thinking they were black beans and didn’t know what to do with them. I googled vegan black lentil recipes and found you! This is so delicious! Its definitely one I would be confident serving non vegan company also.Thank you. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Awesome, Theresa. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
So glad you love the stew, Linda!