A red lentil stew paired with sautéed garlic and cauliflower. Infused with fresh thyme and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, this stew is hearty, savory and a super easy and quick dinner to whip up.
An Easy Red Lentil Recipe
I adore red lentils. I love all lentils, but I love how red lentils in particular break down in a stew and get extra creamy. They can also be very hearty, which can make a basic vegetable based soup that much more filling and satisfying.
So we are giving some life to these lentils because they have quite a bit of nutrition to share with us.
Get Jazzed About Red Lentils
Red lentils are an ultra nutritious food loaded with a lot of key nutrients like protein and fiber, but also loaded with vitamins and minerals like iron, potassium and folate. When it comes to getting in enough iron, lentils are often a go to recommended option from me because they tend to be rich in this mineral.
Nutrition in 1/2 Cup Cooked
- 12 grams of protein
- 4 grams of fiber
- 3 mg of iron (adult men need 8 mg while adult women need 18 mg per day)
Since they are high in protein and fiber, they are actually well suited for people with diabetes and also very heart healthy as well. That fiber in particular may help with normalizing blood glucose levels and also help to reduce cholesterol levels. So if we make them tasty, like we do mixing it up with lots of garlic and herbs, we can get a lot of benefit out of it too, which is a win-win in my book.
How to Make this Easy Red lentil Stew
This stew is made by layering flavors. Start by sautéing your onion and bay leaves until the onions are translucent. Then add in your bell peppers.
After sautéing for a minute, add in your garlic and herbs and sauté until fragrant. Mix in your cauliflower into the herb and onion mixture.
Follow this by adding in your tomatoes, lentils and vegetable broth. Let the mixture simmer along with a few sprigs of thyme until the lentils have softened. Once they soften, stir in some balsamic vinegar and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking.
Tips for the Perfect Stew
- Give your lentils a rinse before using. Place your lentils in a strainer and rinse well under water. This will help to remove dirt and also help make you aware of any debris or odd looking pieces.
- Cook the spices before adding in the cauliflower and lentils. Focus on building the flavor by sautéing the onions, garlic, and herbs. This will help to make the resulting stew more bold in flavor.
- Swap in different vegetables if preferred. While the red lentils and the cauliflower are the star, this stew works with other neutral vegetables like diced zucchini or eggplant.
- Serve with a splash of lemon. While not needed for the recipe, adding a squeeze of lemon at the end will help you absorb more of the iron in this dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Just note that their cook times are completely different. Red lentils cook up faster and will break down a little easier compared to green lentils. You can increase the cooking time by an additional 15 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through really well. The texture of the final dish will be different as green lentils tend to hold their shape better than red lentils, so you might see it is more of a soup consistency.
These lentils are easy to make in a pressure cooker. If your pressure cooker has a sauté function, I do recommend following the steps detailed regarding sautéing the onions, peppers, garlic and herbs to help create the best flavor. Add in the remaining ingredients, give a good stir, seal it and then allow to pressure cook on high for 4 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally.
After cooking, allow your stew to come down to room temperature before storing in airtight containers. Your stew can be placed in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge and in the freezer for up to 1 month.
More Delicious Lentil Recipes
Sautéed Garlic and cauliflower Red Lentil Stew
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A red lentil stew paired with sautéed garlic and cauliflower. Infused with fresh thyme and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, this stew is hearty, savory and a super easy and quick dinner to whip up.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 red bell peppers, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1 tsp dry basil
- 1 tsp dry oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 a head medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 cups)
- 15 oz canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups dry red lentils
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 6–7 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1–2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up your oil in a large sauté pan or pot. Add in onions and bay leaves with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions have become translucent, about 3 minutes.
- Add in your diced peppers and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in your garlic and herbs, making sure to continue to sauté until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute.
- Add in your cauliflower and stir into the herby onion mixture until well coated. Stir the cauliflower occasionally for 3 minutes and then stir in your tomatoes, continuing to stir for an additional 2 minutes.
- Pour in your red lentils, vegetable broth and give a good stir before adding in the fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and allow to cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until lentils and cauliflower are cooked through.
- Remove the lid along with the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then stir in your balsamic vinegar. Season your stew to taste by adding in some salt and pepper to your liking.
Notes
Give your lentils a rinse before using. Place your lentils in a strainer and rinse well under water. This will help to remove dirt and also help make you aware of any debris or odd looking pieces.
Cook the spices before adding in the cauliflower and lentils. Focus on building the flavor by sautéing the onions, garlic, and herbs. This will help to make the resulting stew more bold in flavor.
Swap in different vegetables if preferred. While the red lentils and the cauliflower are the star, this stew works with other neutral vegetables like diced zucchini or eggplant.
While not needed for the recipe, adding a squeeze of lemon at the end will help you absorb more of the iron in this dish.
Keywords: red lentil stew, easy red lentil recipes
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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If you like your cauliflowers with a bit of bite. Cook the red lentils separately in a sauce pan or pressure cooker, mash it well and add to rest of the dish. That way your vegetables will not be overcooked.
★★★★★
Great tip Annie! And thank you for the comment!
I love this dish, so glad I made it. The only thing I changed was the coriander because I didn’t have it. I substituted curry in its place. Ill be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Oooo! Love that you used the curry as a substitute! Very smart. So glad you enjoyed it. 🙂