This vegetable-lentil stew is a breeze to make, and it’s very versatile: add in your favorite vegetables or what you happen to have in the fridge, plus dried herbs and spices to fit your tastes.
Hearty Lentil Stew
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 mins
- Yield: 6 to 8 (makes about 10 cups) 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 8 cups water
- 1½ pounds white potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 4½ cups)
- 2 medium carrots, sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 1½ cups dry/uncooked brown lentils, rinsed
- 3 ribs celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 cups chopped green cabbage
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onion and cook while stirring for 3 to 5 minutes, adding a little water as needed.
- Add the 8 cups water, potatoes, carrots, lentils, celery, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, and cumin, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes.
- Stir in the cabbage, then cover and cook for 10 minutes more, or until the lentils are tender.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ recipe, 1.25 cups
- Calories: 207
- Sugar: 5.4g
- Sodium: 57mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 41.8g
- Fiber: 9.6g
- Protein: 10.2g
- Cholesterol: 0
I just made a double batch of this soup and it's a hit! Family favorite for sure!
I just wanted to say... it's 5 years later and I still keep coming back to this recipe. Go-to family favorite! My husband requests it on a regular basis. <3
Wow, thanks Rebecca! 😉
Made this last night!! YUM. I added steamed rice and mushrooms as well. Thanks for such a great recipe!!
This looks delicious! I would eat lentils every day, if only!
So, I am trying to keep up a habit of posting a meatless dish every day on my facebook page. Something easy to make, and that resembles foods the omni's are already used to. This perfectly fit the bill, and I posted it today. Thank you for a terrific blog! I can't wait to see what treasure I'll find next.
Hi Cathy! I've made this soup several times and it's great! Definitely a favorite for my husband and I. I was wondering if anyone (or you) have tried making this in the crockpot? Thanks!!
Hi Taylor, no I haven't made it in the crockpot, but I'm sure you could. 🙂
Just wanted to let you know that this one is still a family favorite and my husband requests this recipe more then any! Thanks! I always double it and freeze in containers so he has it ready anytime he needs!
Aw, thanks Rebecca! 😉
I made this stew yesterday and it was great! I used black lentils and they imparted a dark color to the dish. I also substituted kale in for the cabbage and sprinkled on some black pepper and ground mustard after cooking. It was awesome!
Yay! 🙂 Thanks Miles!
Another recipe to remind me of my grandmother's cooking. This time it is my Mexican grandmother. She would always serve lentils during Lent, which happens to be this time of year. She would have called this dish "common lentils"- not sure why, maybe because it has no meat. The flavors are robust and deeply satisfying. The spices once again just right- although I have figured out with your dishes that it pays to buy fresh spices from my local spice shop as I trust that is what you are using. Every time you call for a new spice in a recipe, I throw out my at-least-10-year-old bottle and buy a fresh new one. My spice dealer knows you by name. I blended two cups of the stew and returned it to the broth to make it even heartier. I also used finely-chopped carrots and beet greens instead of cabbage as I had that on hand. Thanks again, Cathy, this one is going in my Keeper notebook- although, forgive me, I think under the name "Common Lentils".
Love your comments, Jan! 🙂 Thank you. I like "common lentils" and so good that you are keeping your dried herbs/spices fresh; it really makes a difference, especially since we're not adding salt.
My goodness, this is good!
I'm not salt-free yet, but added none to taste the recipe as written. I do miss a bit more salty flavor, but will resist, as this stew is really good.
Do I remember correctly? I think you (Cathy) said sumac is a good "salty" spice to add?
I might try it next time I make this. And you can bet there's a next time.
Thanks for a very satisfying meal.
Hi Carolina, Yes, sumac is really tasty, and naturally salty and a bit lemony too. I buy mine here at Savory Spice. Thank you for your comment! 🙂