Herbed Red Lentil Chickpea Stew (1 pan, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free)

This Italian herb and sun-dried tomato Red Lentil chickpea stew is a super easy, one-pan, meal that is so satisfying and flavorful! It makes a delicious, protein-packed weeknight meal with garlic bread or sourdough to dip, or serve it over pasta, baked potato, or roasted vegetables.

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This high protein vegan stew uses both chickpeas and red lentils. The stew has a simple base of aromatics, herbs, sun dried tomato, vegan parmesan and non dairy milk. The red lentils break down during cooking and thicken up the stew, so you don’t necessarily need a cream addition. You can even serve it over roasted veggies or with garlic bread or however else you like. No matter how you serve it, this lentil chickpea stew is a perfect, easy meal for a cool, spring evening.

If you’re looking to change up your game from making all of the lentil curries or chickpea curries, this chickpea lentil stew is for you. It uses Italian herbs and oregano ,mirepoix and some sun-dried tomato for all that umami flavor in the sauce, and it is amazing over some toasted garlic bread or sourdough or over pasta or baked potato.

I also offer an option to make this into a curried lentil chickpea stew with just a simple adjustment to the spices.

Why you will love this Lentil Chickpea Stew

• easy, one pot meal that’s packed with protein and flavor
• versatile! Use other cooked lentils and use cooked chickpeas, white beans, or butter beans. You can also change the flavor to curried, if you like.
• tender beans in a thick, flavorful sauce
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Lentil Chickpea Stew with sun-dried tomato and italian herbs

4.95 from 76 votes

By: Vegan Richa

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Vegan

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This Red Lentil chickpea stew with italian herbs and sun-dried tomato, is a super easy, one-pan, meal! It makes a delicious, protein-packed weeknight meal with garlic bread or sourdough to dip, or serve it over pasta, baked potato, or roasted vegetables.

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Equipment

• Skillet
• Chef’s knife

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 teaspoon oil
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped onion
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped celery, optional
• ▢ 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoon chopped sun dried tomato
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian herb blend
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ▢ 15 ounce can coconut milk, or 1.5 cups other non dairy milk such as cashew milk or soy milk Or use more broth
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups water, or veggie broth
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/3 cup dried red lentils, , see notes to use cooked lentils
• ▢ 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas, or use white beans or butter beans
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or use pepper flakes

To Add Later

• ▢ 1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed
• ▢ 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan parmesan

For Garnish

• ▢ Pepper flakes, vegan parmesan, chopped herbs, like basil or parsley

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Instructions 

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is translucent and the garlic is smelling fragrant and starting to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add splashes of water to help onion cook evenly.
• Add in the celery, carrots, sun dried tomato and all of the herbs. Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the tomato paste and coconut milk, and press and mix so that the tomato paste mixes into the coconut milk. Mix in the water, salt, red lentils, chickpeas, and pepper.
• Then, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the red lentils are cooked to preference. I like them to be soft, so that they thicken the sauce mixture.
• Mix in the spinach and vegan parmesan, then bring to a boil, and taste and adjust flavor and thickness. Add more salt, if needed, and some more black pepper and herbs, if you want. If there isn't enough liquid, then you can add in some more water or broth at this point. (Adjust the color if you like with a teaspoon more tomato paste or some paprika if you like)
• Bring to a boil, and cook until the spinach is cooked, about 2 minutes, then switch off the heat.
• Garnish with fresh herbs, pepper flakes, and more vegan Parmesan, and serve with some sourdough, garlic bread, pasta or however you like.

Video

Notes

Storage: Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze for months. reheat in microwave or skillet. 

This recipe is gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. Just make sure that the vegan Parmesan is nut- and/or soy-free, if needed.

For additional protein, serve with whole grain bread, garnish with hemp seed and nut Parmesan(process hemp seeds, raw cashews, salt, garlic, nutritional yeast and lemon zest in a food processor and use) 

Use cooked lentils instead or dried red lentils: use 1 1/4 cup cooked brown lentils or other lentils of choice. omit the water, and then cook the mixture for only 15 minutes, or until the carrots are cooked and the mixture has thickened a bit.

To make lentil chickpea Curry version of this recipe, omit the oregano and Italian herbs, and add a teaspoon or more of curry powder and 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cumin and ground coriander. Instead of curry powder, you can also use garam masala.

Instant Pot: follow instructions on sauté mode, use 2.5 cups stock and no milk, then close the lid and pressure cook 3 minutes. Quick release after 10 mins, then fold in spinach and vegan parmesan and 1/4 cup non dairy cream if you like . 

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal, Carbohydrates: 50g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 497mg, Potassium: 721mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 5113IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 126mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Ingredients and Substitutions

• oil – To sauté.
• aromatics – Onion and garlic are the base flavor for this stew.
• carrots and celery – Adding texture and flavor.
• sun dried tomato – Just a little bit of sun dried tomato adds umami to the sauce.
• herbs – You’re using dried oregano and Italian herbs in the stew and garnishing with more fresh herbs! If you’re doing the curry variation, omit these herbs and use curry powder or garam masala and cumin and coriander instead.
• Non dairy milk such as coconut milk – Makes the stew creamy. You can use other non-dairy milk instead, if you prefer or just use more broth!
• water /broth – To cook the dried lentils. If you’re using cooked lentils, omit the water.
• salt – Enhances all of the flavors.
• dried lentils – Use dried red lentils or cooked brown lentils.
• chickpeas – Cooked or canned chickpeas keep the cooking time down. You can use white beans or butter beans instead, if you prefer.
• black pepper – Adds a nice flavor.
• spinach – Thawed, frozen spinach adds texture and some more veggies to the stew.
• vegan Parmesan – Adds creaminess to the sauce and makes a great topping! Use nut- and/or soy-free, if needed.
• garnishes – Top the stew with fresh herbs, pepper flakes, and vegan Parmesan.

How to Make Chickpea Lentil Stew

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add the oil (or use a few tablespoons stock to sauté for Oilfree). Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is translucent and the garlic is smelling fragrant and starting to turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add splashes of water to help onion cook evenly.

Add in the celery, carrots, sun dried tomato and all of the herbs. Mix and cook for 2 minutes. 

Add in the tomato paste and coconut milk, and press and mix so that the tomato paste mixes into the coconut milk. Mix in the water, salt, red lentils, chickpeas, and pepper. 

Then, cover with a lid and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the red lentils are cooked to preference. You want them to be soft, so that they thicken the sauce mixture. 

Mix in the spinach and vegan parmesan, then bring to a boil, and taste and adjust flavor and thickness.  Add more salt, if needed, and some more black pepper and herbs, if you want. If there isn’t enough liquid, then you can add in some more water or broth at this point. 

Bring to a boil, and cook until the spinach is cooked, about 2 minutes, then switch off the heat. 

Garnish with fresh herbs, pepper flakes, and more vegan Parmesan, and serve with some sourdough, garlic bread, pasta or however you like.