Crockpot Lentil “Beef” Stew

This plant-based take on traditional beef stew lacks meat, but is still full of flavor. Hearty potatoes, carrots, and peas coupled with lentils make this stew vegan, high fiber, and delicious.

If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m a huge fan of lentils. Seriously, they’re so versatile and I love throwing them in just about anything. This time, I tried my hand at a vegan “beef” stew using my favorite plant-based protein–lentils! And you know I had to use my trusty crockpot for easy cooking. This stew is the perfect hearty meal to come home to on a cold winter night.

To get this recipe started, we’ve got to chop up all of the veggies. For this stew, we’ll be dicing an onion, peeling and chopping carrots, and chopping celery and potatoes.

Then, break out the crockpot! We’re going to put all of our ingredients, except for the flour and frozen peas into the crockpot. As you can tell, I added the peas early when I took pictures of this recipe. That’s okay, but the peas retain their texture and color better if you wait to add them in later with the flour. Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours.

30 minutes before your cook time is up, add the flour and frozen peas and stir thoroughly. Cover, and cook for the remainder of the cook time, or until the lentils are tender and the stew has thickened.

Once it’s done, serve and enjoy! Just remember not to eat the bay leaves. ;) Any leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-5 days.

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5 from 1 vote

Crockpot Lentil “Beef” Stew

This plant-based take on traditional beef stew lacks meat, but is still full of flavor. Hearty potatoes, carrots, and peas coupled with lentils make this stew vegan, high fiber, and delicious.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time7 hrs

Total Time7 hrs 20 mins

Course: Main Course

Keyword: high fiber, lentil “beef” stew, lentil stew, lentils, plant-based, vegan

Servings: 6 people

Author: Amanda Hookom @HookomOnHealth

Ingredients

• 1 yellow onion diced
• 5 large carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 celery stalks chopped
• 2 russet potatoes chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup dry lentils rinsed
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

• Add all ingredients except for frozen peas and flour to crockpot.  Stir to combine.  Cover, and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
• 30 minutes before cook time is up, add frozen peas and flour and stir thoroughly.  Cover and continue cooking for remainder of cook time, or until lentils are tender and stew has thickened.

Video

Notes

• To make gluten-free, either omit the flour (stew will be thinner), or use a gluten-free flour.  Note that this may alter the texture and taste of the stew based on substitute chosen.
• Freeze extra tomato paste in one tablespoon portions for easy use in future recipes.