Savory Sage Mushroom Lentil Stew
This savory sage mushroom lentil stew is filled with cozy, hearty, and flavorful ingredients that will warm your soul during the colder months. Savory sage, mushrooms, and hearty lentils marry together for the best cold weather stew that you will want to make all winter long.
As the temps start to drop outside, the only thing I’m craving is one of those hearty meals that warms my whole body from the inside out. This time of year I am making tons of soup and stew.
This vegan mushroom lentil stew is the perfect meal for the winter months. I store leftovers in the freezer and reheat whenever I need a quick meal that week.
Looking for more cozy meals this season? Try out…
- This warm Miso Dumpling Soup is a fan-favorite on my site for ages!
- If you love a good curry, check out this Red Lentil Sweet Potato Curry!
- Gnocchi lovers will go crazy for this Creamy Tomato Gnocchi Soup.
👉🏻Craving more? Check out this list of 75 meatless meals for the week!
🍄Ingredients
Ingredient notes:
- Lentils: I use french green lentils in this recipe but you could also use brown lentils. I don’t recommend red because they cook too fast and their color doesn’t match this soup. Lentils are a great source of fiber…making this a filling and hearty soup!
- Mushrooms: You technically only need one type of mushroom for this recipe. Cremini mushrooms are inexpensive and provide great flavor, but you could consider adding a different variety of mushroom such as shiitake mushroom. Just make sure they add up to 1 pound for this recipe. Mushrooms will add the deep flavor to this stew. (Love mushrooms? Check out this creamy Mushroom Rigatoni!)
- Fresh garlic: I recommend freshly minced garlic for this recipe for the best flavor. If you don’t have fresh, you can use garlic powder.
- White wine: Not a requirement, but can add a lot of flavor to soup. I use a drier wine like sauvignon blanc. Avoid sweet wines like moscato for soup.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
📝Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large pot or large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until softened, ~ 4 minutes.
Step 2: Add the sliced cremini mushrooms to the pot. Stir occasionally. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and start to brown, ~5 minutes.
Step 3: Add in the diced carrots, potatoes and rinsed lentils. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and lentils, and stir to coat.
Step 4: Gradually pour in the vegetable broth, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. If using wine, add it now. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir in the chopped sage, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
Step 5: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the stew simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
Stir in chopped kale and soy sauce. Let it simmer for 1-2 more minutes until kale is wilted and then its ready to serve.
Serve the Sage and Mushroom Stew hot, garnished with extra fresh sage, with some freshly toasted bread
Tip: Squeeze some lemon on top for some acidity that balances the earthy flavors of the stew.
❓Recipe FAQs
Rinsing lentils before cooking removes impurities, excess surface starch, and minimizes oligosaccharides, contributing to a cleaner, better-tasting, and more easily digestible final dish.
Adding flour to this mushroom lentil soup serves to thicken the broth, creating a smoother and heartier texture by forming a roux that binds the liquid components.
A “sprig of sage” is a small stem or branch of the sage herb, typically including several leaves. The number of leaves on a sprig of sage can vary, but it typically ranges from 3 to 8 leaves, depending on the size of the sprig. I recommend using a sprig with at least 4 leaves for this stew.
Pro Tips
- I highly recommend using fresh sage for this recipe to get the best flavor. It really takes this stew so the next level!
- To keep this recipe simpler, I use just one variation of mushroom, but feel free to use a mix of mushroom varieties, such as cremini, shiitake, and porcini, to add complexity and depth to the stew.
- Consider adding a squeeze of lemon juice towards the end of cooking. This touch of acidity can brighten the flavors of the stew, balance the richness of the mushrooms and lentils.
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Savory Sage Mushroom Lentil Stew
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced (450g)
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 cup yellow or white potatoes diced
- 1 cup cup dry green or brown lentils rinsed
- 1 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup dry white wine optional – use 1 cup water instead
- 2 sprigs fresh sage finely chopped (plus extra for garnish)* see note
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 heaping cup chopped kale ribs/stems removed
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
Instructions
- In a large pot or large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until softened, ~ 4 minutes.1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 large onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add the sliced cremini mushrooms to the pot. Stir occasionally. Cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and start to brown, ~5 minutes.1 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
- Add in the diced carrots, potatoes and rinsed lentils. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and lentils, and stir to coat. Gradually pour in the vegetable broth, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. If using wine, add it now. Bring the mixture to a simmer.2 large carrots, 1 cup yellow or white potatoes, 1 cup cup dry green or brown lentils, 1 tbsp all purpose flour, 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, 1 cup dry white wine
- Stir in the chopped sage, dried thyme, salt, and pepper.2 sprigs fresh sage, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the stew simmer for about 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils and vegetables are tender.
- Stir in chopped kale and soy sauce. Let it simmer for 1-2 more minutes and then its ready to serve.1 heaping cup chopped kale, 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- Optional: Squeeze some lemon on top. Serve the Sage and Mushroom Stew hot, garnished with extra fresh sage, with some freshly toasted bread.
Notes
- If you don’t have wine, you can substitute with just 1 cup of water. Your soup will still have great flavor!
- I choose to use low-sodium vegetable broth to make the soup a tad healthier. If you only have regular vegetable broth, consider omitting the 1/2 tsp of salt and only adding salt to taste.
- To keep this recipe simpler, I use just one variation of mushroom, but feel free to use a mix of mushroom varieties, such as cremini, shiitake, and porcini, to add complexity and depth to the stew.
It’s so hard to find a meal that’s both healthy AND comforting, so I’m so glad I found your recipe! It turned out so good and even the picky eaters liked it.