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Savoury Lentil & Bean Stew

 A hearty winter savoury lentil and bean stew made in a pot. Serve with mashed potato and green beans.


Savoury Lentil & Bean Stew



Stews are a great family meal in the winter. 

They are comforting, filling and they don't break the bank. 

These days we all have to be more careful with our money, so it really is something to think about when you're shopping for groceries. 


What's in lentil & bean stew?


This stew is made from some basic vegetables and tinned lentils and beans and has the most delicious gravy. 

Of course, you could use dried beans and lentils and this would be even more cost-effective, but I'm never organised enough to soak them the night before, so I make sure I have plenty of tinned beans and lentils in my store cupboard. 

Tinned beans and lentils are really good quality these days, but like I say, you decide.


How to serve savoury lentil and bean stew


I like to serve most stews with mashed potatoes. There's just something so comforting about mash.

I also like to add some green veg.

If you want to serve it really simply, just serve it with some buttered crusty bread.

As with all stews, soups and curries, it tastes even better the next day.


Can you make lentil and bean casserole ahead?


You can make this stew or casserole ahead, leave it to cool and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days.

To reheat it, you can heat portions in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.


Can you freeze this stew?



This type of stew freezes really well.

Leave it to cool and freeze in portions in freezer bags or freezer-proof tubs.

You can freeze this beany stew for 3-4 months.


Scottish mushroom stew served on a layer of mashed potato

More vegan stews to try



Here are a few more tasty vegan stews for you to try:


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Savoury Lentil & Bean Stew


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stew, winter stew, vegan stew, vegan winter stew, vegetarian stew, vegetarian winter stew, bean stew, lentil stew, lentil casserole, bean casserole
dinner
Scottish, vegan
Yield: 4-6
Author: Jacqueline Meldrum
Savoury Bean & Lentil Stew

Savoury Bean & Lentil Stew

A hearty winter savoury lentil and bean stew made in a pot. Serve with mashed potato and green beans.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons mustard seeds
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 leek, sliced
  • 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
  • 3 stalks celery, sliced
  • 4 large carrots, chopped
  • 250g (8.8 oz) chestnut mushrooms, chopped
  • 400g (235 g drained) or (14oz which is 8.3 oz drained) tin green lentils
  • 1 x 400g (240g drained) or (14 oz which is 8.5 oz drained) tin kidney beans
  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1 vegetable stock pot (or 3 vegetable stock cubes)
  • 3 tablespoons brown sauce (or you could use BBQ sauce)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato puree
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour, plus a little warm water
  • a good grinding of salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pan and add the mustard seeds. Leave them for a couple of minutes until they start making popping sounds, then add the onion, leek, celery and garlic. Saute until soft.
  2. Add the carrots, pop the lid on and leave to cook gently for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms, kidney beans, lentils and thyme. Cover again and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the stock pot (or stock cubes) to a measuring jug and top up with boiling water to the 400ml (1 ¾ cups) mark. Stir well until dissolved and then add to the pan, along with the HP sauce and tomato puree.
  5. Add a little water to the cornflour, to make a runny paste. Add this to the pot and stir well. This will help to thicken the gravy.
  6. Cover the pot and leave to simmer gently for 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the gravy is thick.
  7. Enjoy!

Notes:

Calories


4 portions = 361 calories per portion

5 portions = 289 calories per portion

6 portions = 241 calories per portion


Storing stew


  • This stew can be cooled and kept in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Freeze this stew when cool for 3-4 months.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

360.89

Fat (grams)

6.07

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.77

Carbs (grams)

59.11

Fiber (grams)

18.17

Net carbs

40.94

Sugar (grams)

8.37

Protein (grams)

21.82

Sodium (milligrams)

378.42

Cholesterol (grams)

0.01

54 comments

  1. The stew looks perfect and so very delicious.Please do send it to my events Flavours of the world Grand finale and Lets cook with green Veg at simply.food and In my VEG BOX ~Carrots at citrusspice.

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    Replies
    1. Oh shoot, I did mean to submit it to events and totally forgot. Must go do that now, thanks for the reminder :)

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  2. That looks both tasty and like something my Dr will allow me to eat so I think I'll grab that and give it a go tomorrow. I know what you mean about dried pulses v tinned, I used to have a pressure cooker and that made short work of dried pulses. Nowadays I too generally use tinned but red split lentils can just be dumped straight into the stew and cooked with the rest of the veggies.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, I use red lentils a lot too. I just don't have a lot of time. I hope you enjoy it Mike.

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  3. JUST my kind of meal Jac and I am a HUGE lover of all pulses, but especially lentils! It DOES have herbs in it too, so would qualify for Cooking with Herbs! :-) Karen

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    Replies
    1. Ahhh, I passed that one by as it was dried herbs, but if you are happy then I shall.

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    2. There's no citrus in this one Karen.

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  4. Looks gorgeous Jac, and how have I missed your makeover?! The site looks fantastic, great job :)
    Janie x

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  5. This stew looks delicious. Full of healthy goodness and looks to be very filling too.

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  6. Hi there! This looks amazing and perfect for the winter. I'm in the U.S. and wondering if I can substitute ketchup or something else for the HP brown sauce?

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    Replies
    1. It's a tangy, slightly fruity sauce. You could use a BBQ sauce instead or people seem to equate it with A1 sauce. It might be the nearest thing.

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  7. We're trying to eat a few more vegetarian meals, and this sounds perfect, my husband will love it. And your other winter warmers look delicious too.

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  8. Yummy Jac, I do love a lentil stew and yours sounds no less than delicious. Great challenge from the Co-Operative, might try and join in too! Thanks so much for linking up to Four Seasons, it certainly is a Virtuous dinner!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Lou, I hope you do get the chance to join in. You'll probably find yourself doing winter dishes as a matter of course anyway :)

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  9. I'm a lentil fan too! This looks like an excellent recipe and definitely a winter warmer. And, I MUST sit down and do some challenges this weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Fiona. I usually just see what my finished recipes fit with, there are usually a few in The Food Blog Diary and of course there is this Co-op comp too.

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  10. Ooooohhh, I know what I'm having for dinner tonight...Thanks for the recipe!

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  11. Looks yummy! I am eating a lot of lentils at the moment, just because they are so cheap, healthy and filling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are good. We probably eat more red lentils than any other kind.

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  12. What a hearty, warming and tempting dish this looks to be. I never remember to soak beans and lentils and so always buy them in tins now too. Such a handy cupboard standby!

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    Replies
    1. They are so handy and can be added to all sorts of dishes. A must have in my opinion.

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  13. Your stew looks so colourful it makes it seem even more enticing and I don't need much persuading once I know lentils are involved.

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  14. Looks so inviting - I'm craving a veg stew for lunch now but will probably have to wait until Sunday as my fridge is bare!!

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    Replies
    1. A bare fridge is never a good thing, although I happen to know you are great at working with what bits you have left in the fridge and store cupboard. I need to do that more often.

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  15. *drool* If I was closer I would probably knock on your door right now with a bowl and spoon! I love hearty veggie stews, it's my number 1 comfort food at the moment!

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  16. What a top dish Jac, love it and think this is a post I will be back visiting regularly. I also love your new header. Being a big art fan I would always warm to your design but even more so because I know you!

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    Replies
    1. Awwww thanks Laura, although it was my friend's sister who did this one for me. I don't do much painting myself anymore. Cooking has taken over.

      Delete
  17. Been making lots of stews actually all involving black-eyed beans. Gonna have to try this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am quite a new convert to black beans, but I love them!

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  18. Looks very hearty and delicious, lentil lovers here and most pulses, we have a meal like this weekly, stretches to lunch the next day which is a bonus!

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    Replies
    1. Indeed and the flavour is even better on the second day. A real winner.

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  19. I am going to make a bacon and bean stew soon, I use the cooking bacon from Sainsburys or Morrisons - much cheaper than formed bacon pieces.

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  20. what a fab stew Jaq! I ALWAYS have dried beans and loads of lentils at home, am obsessed with them and feel insecure even if one runs out (hehehe guess because we eat lots of dal all the time!)

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  21. Can you freeze this please?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As a matter of interest, what determines whether a recipe will freeze or not?

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    2. It's basically what the dish is like once it has defrosted. Too be honest most veggie dishes are ok when defrosted.

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  22. Hi. Sounds great! What's HP Brown sauce?

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    Replies
    1. It's a sauce available here in the UK. It's a fruity brown sauce, a condiment a bit like ketchup. You could use worcestershire sauce, or a bbq sauce to add a bit of extra flavour.

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  23. Hello do we know how many calories are peer portion? I'm a bit zonked to work it out! Thanks :) can't wait to try this for meal prep

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    Replies
    1. I work it out as 6 portions at 548 calories each. Hope you enjoy it Steph :)

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  24. Tried making this in my slow cooker today. Added a small amount more water. It just came out as a slushy looking grey-brown mush. There's no way my kids will eat it. Yours looked so good aswell! Was very much looking forward to it... :(

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  25. Hello can you do this in a crock pot? X

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    Replies
    1. Yes, but you would need much less stock and this is a big serving, remember don't overfill your crockpot.

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  26. where do you buy the brown sauce? i don't know what it is

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    Replies
    1. Hi Cassandra, It is a spiced sauce which is tangy or fruity and popular in the UK. You could substitute with a BBQ sauce, a sweet tangy steak sauce or leave it out, although it does add a flavour note.

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  27. about how much dried lentles and beans would be the equivilent of canned?

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    Replies
    1. Check out the guide in this post and in case it helps 400g is just under a pound (cooked weight).

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I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x