A stew can be a bit of a slog, but Lentil Mushroom Chilli https://huff.to/1tnT3eX is ready in minutes. It can be served with any starch you like, or Banting veg alternative; it can also be made ahead of time, in bulk, and frozen. Best of all, despite there being no meat in the dish, it still gives that yummy, nourished-and-warmed-from-within feeling on a cold winter’s day. #lentils #keepwarm #makeahead #proteinpower #winterwarmer #veggiestew #homemade # legumes #mushrooms #vegandinner #veganlunch #foodblog #healthycooking #nourish #yummy #umamilove
Lentil Mushroom Chilli
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
2tbsp coconut oil, unsalted organic butter or vegan butter
2 large carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large Portobello mushrooms (about 170g), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1tsp fresh thyme or oregano leaves or ½tsp dried
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp chilli powder
½tsp ground cinnamon
100g tomato paste
2½ cups cooked lentils or 1½ cups dried, any colour
175ml beer or ½ cup red wine
1 cup homemade vegetable stock
1tsp Dijon mustard
Garnish: sliced spring onions, grated cheese, sour cream or plain yoghurt, diced avocado, tortilla chips
Method
1 In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil on medium. Sauté the carrots and onions until soft (about 3 minutes), seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and garlic; continue to sauté until soft and beginning to brown, stirring frequently to prevent burning (about 5 minutes).
2 Add the herbs, spices, and tomato paste. Stir and continue cooking until fragrant (2 minutes or so). Now add the cooked lentils and beer or wine (if using dried lentils, double the amount of liquid). Stir to combine, allowing the alcohol to cook off. Finally, stir in the stock and mustard. Bring to a simmer; then lower the heat and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, to a thick stew-like consistency, 7 to 10 minutes (if using dried lentils, cover and cook over a low heat until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes). Add more stock if the chilli gets too dry.
3 Taste and adjust the seasonings as desired. Ladle into serving bowls and serve with garnishes on top or on the side.