Lentil stew is such a savory and healthy comfort food. This vegan version is made in the instant pot- so no need to stand at the stove. It’s packed with veggies and lots of mushrooms, and it makes a great meal for Meatless Monday or any day. Jump Straight to the Recipe
Instant Pot Vegan Lentil Stew with Mushrooms (Gluten Free)
My grandmother made the best French lentils. Lots of carrots for me, and a little bit of sausage for texture and flavor. I often find myself craving lentils as the weather starts to cool, but these days, I very seldom eat meat. I set about creating a vegan lentil dish that had all the hearty flavors of my grandmother’s lentil stew, without the meat.
Nugget Markets one of my favorite partners on this blog, and they’re sponsoring this post. When we started throwing around ideas for healthy and easy weeknight meals, we settled on vegan lentil and mushroom stew really quickly. I decided it would be fun to make this in the instant pot. As much as I enjoy a day of slow-paced cooking, I also love the hands-off nature of an electric pressure cooker for some things. I work from home, and this recipe comes together quickly enough that I can step away from my computer for a few minutes at 11:30 and be eating lentil stew for lunch!
My first test of this recipe was basically my grandmother’s- just ditching the sausage and adding mushrooms. Unfortunately, it was only okay. Sausage is seasoned and fatty, so I knew I had to amp up the flavors and add a bit more fat.
On my second test, I stopped by my local Nugget Market in West Sacramento and strolled down the spice aisle for a little inspiration. I was excited to see Greek Freak from Spiceology, a line of spices that was actually started by my friend, Heather. I can always count on Nugget Markets when I’m looking for something unique- even from small boutique producers like Spiceology.
In addition to the spices, I included a bit of tomato paste and some nice white wine. To top it all off, I’ve made a simple garlic and parsley oil with some really nice local olive oil from Nugget Markets own house brand, Fresh to Market. The garlic and herb oil is optional, so if you’re just too busy or if you’re watching your fat intake, you might just add a little fresh parsley to your bowl before serving and a bit of dairy or non-dairy yogurt. Adding an extra clove of garlic to the lentil stew wouldn’t hurt either. But then, an extra clove of garlic never hurts!
Hope you enjoy this one just as much as we did. Happy holidays and happy cooking!
This post is sponsored by Nugget Markets. All opinions are my own, and are never for sale. Thank you for supporting the brands who help keep this site free.
For this gluten free and vegan lentil and mushroom stew, I’ve used French green lentils which are largely the same as Puy lentils. These lentils hold their shape beautifully when cooked, but if you cannot find them, you can substitute beluga lentils or plain green or brown lentils. For this recipe, yellow, red, or orange lentils are not recommended as they become mushy when cooked- and have quite a different cooking time. Also, if you don’t cook with wine or don’t have any handy, you can substitute water with a couple of teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 servings
- ¼ cup nice extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 lb carrots, sliced into ½ in -¾ in slices
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 12oz mushrooms, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 lb French green lentils (
puy lentils, beluga lentils, or green or brown lentils are a fine substitute) - 1 Tablespoon Spiceology Greek Freak (or ½ tablespoon salt-free herb seasoning like herbs de
provence + 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt) - ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups water
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 bunch parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Turn instant pot to sauté and add olive oil- heat for a minute or so to let the oil warm and spread across the bottom of the pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until onions are
transluscent - about five minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes until the mushrooms begin to shrink in size and the garlic smells fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the lentils, spices, salt (if using) and pepper along with the water and wine (if using). - Turn the Instant Pot off and put the lid on. Make sure the valve is set to seal. Press manual on the instant pot and select high pressure. Set the time to 16 minutes and then allow natural pressure release for 10-15 minutes. After that, open the pressure valve and quick release the steam.
- While the vegan lentil mushroom stew is cooking, make the garlic and parsley oil by adding all ingredients to a mini chopper or a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blentech to get it really smooth.
- Serve lentils with garlic parsley oil drizzled over the top.
