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!
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.
So delicious, not too much prep. The minimal effort is worth the reward. I used spinach because I had it around and I didn’t puree any because I forgot. We had it with bread and I liked having the broth for that, it was still plenty thick. Excellent texture, tons of umami and a bit of creaminess from the tahini and coconut milk. I will definitely make again.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Heather!
Delicious. I cut the veggie stock back to 1 cup to make it thicker.
Sharon, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Just made this for dinner. Super easy and amazingly flavorful! Thanks a lot, will definitely be a repeater!
Awesome, Alice. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
This is sooooo delicious! Thank you so much! Nothing better on a cold rainy spring day :)
Shelley, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
This was amazing until I pureed half of it. I didn’t like the texture after that. Maybe next time I will use a hand held blender and do it slightly to make it a bit creamy but this was way too much. A lot of trouble to make the mushrooms brown and delicious and then make them into mush. I always follow the recipe to the letter the first time and I love the flavour of this and I love mushrooms. I just will do it differently next time. I would give it 5/5 if it wasn’t so mushy. It looked better visually as well before pureeing it. Ah just my partner and I though so for sure it will get eaten no matter what.
Hi Janine, sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of the halfway blended stew! Glad you liked it otherwise :)
Absolutely AMAZING!!!! I’ve made this several times, I would make it more often but I don’t want to overdose my husband on mushrooms. Before going plant based, he would NEVER eat mushrooms!
Nisha, all your recipes are sooo good!! I have so many of your recipes in my book, you are my go to person to find something to cook.
Thank you for everything you do.
Kristi, So glad to hear you love the recipes! :) Thanks for trying them!
Just incredible. The flavor was complex and it was the best (and healthiest) comfort food I’ve had in ages.
Awesome, Cianah. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
I had never cooked with black lentils and found this recipe. It was quite good. I realized I had no white wine at the last minute and used saki instead. Also, my thyme plant isn’t in good shape so I used dried. Still, my husband and I really enjoyed this dish.
Thanks for sharing, Leah!
This is stew is excellent ! Anyone who has tried it has asked for the recipe which I gladly share…
Awesome, Carole. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Very Good–Had bought some black lentils a while back and have been looking for a recipe for them. Glad I found this one. Very Tasty and Hearty, perfect for this cold Sunday!
Awesome, Kim. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Made this for dinner; it was spectacular! One of the best vegan stew recipes I have found. Thank you !
Awesome, Emily. Thanks for your comment and for taking the time to review!
Made this several months ago and have it in fridge all the time. Always forget miso but everything else. Really truely great.
Sometimes use it on rice.
Thank you!!!!
That’s so great to hear, Jane! 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!
This is REALLY good!!! My black lentils took about twice as long as indicated to cook(with more water added). Used mushroom broth instead of veggie and had no white wine so sub’d 2 Tbsp of white wine vinegar. Will make again for sure.
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Teresa!
Oh my goodness, but this was good. An umami-bomb. We hoarded several bags of beluga lentils an age ago when they were on sale, and they were threatening to go out of date while we stared at them, not knowing how best to use them. This was just the ticket… mom, dad and 11-y-o recent convert to mushrooms all adored it. I made a double batch in the quest to use up the lentils, wondering if I’d regret it… not a chance!
For others who run into pantry/grocery difficulties: we used regular shoyu (soy sauce) instead of tamari and vegetable bouillon cubes, but then recommend NO ADDITIONAL SALT…it’s plenty if those ingredients are going in. Full fat coconut milk was what we had around. Also couldn’t get tuscan kale, but ordinary green kale was fine (and super convenient, since our supermarket sells big bags of it washed and pre-chopped). Rich, delicious!!!
Thanks for sharing, Sangerinde!
Seriously one of the best soups I’ve made or had! I can’t stop thinking about it so I’m making it again for dinner for friends tomorrow <3
That’s so great to hear, Rebecca! 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!
We loved this! It had a deep, rich flavor Used fresh Spinach instead of kale.
Sue, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
Delicious! Came together easily with instant pot. Really hearty and satisfying. Thanks!
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Elle!
Delicious! I used green lentils and i think next time I will use the black ones for more visual appeal.
Kathy, So glad to hear you loved this recipe!
EXCELLENT! The flavors are so good!!! Mine came out like a gravy. We actually served it over a baked potato. Soooo good.
The color isn’t great to look at. But I don’t care about that. All about depth of flavor. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes. sm
Delicious! You’re so welcome. We are glad you enjoy the recipes :)
I tried this recipe today, because we had so many mushrooms left – and even without having shiitake, the stew was so flavorful and satisfying! Alongside, I made a wild leaf salad with fennel and pomegranate, as a more refreshing part of the dinner. It was just amazing. Thank you for all your work and great ideas and that you share it all with the world!:)
Best from Berlin,
Vika
Awesome, Viktoria. Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your experience :)