Vegan Red Lentil Stew | One Pot Dinner
Tomato & Red Lentil Stew – Easy, Healthy Vegan Dinner!
Eating healthy doesn’t have to be so hard. You can make prepping wholesome, homecooked meals easier on yourself with ONE POT dinners! Between one pot pastas, veggie soups, and other one pot meals like this this vegan red lentil stew, there are endless options for easy weeknight dinners—without all of the dirty dishes. Just pop your ingredients into one pot, let ‘em cook, and chow down on the fruits of your minimal labor!
Best of all, you can prep this red lentil stew as a FREEZER MEAL! Once you’ve cooked your vegan stew, just portion into freezer-safe containers and freeze so you always have a healthy vegan dinner ready to go. The perfect vegan and vegetarian meal prep dinner—or a healthy one pot meal to try on Meatless Monday!
Plant-Based Yet Protein-Packed: Vegan Red Lentil Stew
This healthy vegan dinner features red lentils, which are loaded with plant-based protein and satiating fiber (as are all lentils). In just 1 serving of this easy red lentil stew, you get a whopping 29 grams of protein and over 60% of your recommended fiber intake!
That protein is crucial to SO many functions in our bodies—like regulating our metabolism and hormones, and even giving structure to our cells and tissues. And, it can be especially important to focus on quality sources of protein if you’re living a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle without any meat in your diet.
Will all of that protein and fiber, this red lentil stew is unbelievably hearty, filling, and satisfying. But, without the meat! Nutrient-rich lentils are the ideal ingredient for any truly hearty vegetable soup or stew—whether you live a plant-based vegan lifestyle or are just looking for meatless and vegetarian dinner options. And, they’ll soak up all of the savory, sweet, tangy flavors in your tomato and red lentil stew. A delicious one pot dinner for both my vegan AND omnivorous friends!
Forget Multivitamins—Eat Your Lentils!
Protein, fiber, slow digesting complex carbs—seems like lentils have it all! But wait…there’s more. In addition, the lentils in this red lentil stew recipe offer TONS of essential vitamins and minerals that our bodies need:
- Folate, a.k.a. vitamin B9: Crucial for DNA creation, red blood cell formation, nerve function, and especially important for pregnant women. Of all plant-based foods, lentils are actually THE best source of folate you can find. In just one serving of red lentil stew, you get almost ALL of your daily recommended amount of folate!
- Manganese (49% DV): Helps to regulate blood sugar levels and fight oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
- Iron (37% DV): Essential mineral that aids in forming hemoglobin, which transports life-giving oxygen to our cells. If you have an iron deficiency, known as anemia, you may feel very tired and have low energy. And, this can be common on a plant-based diet because the most iron rich foods are Luckily, you get around HALF of your daily recommended iron in one serving of red lentil stew!
- Potassium (21% DV): Helps regulate blood pressure and counteract excess sodium levels in the body. Forget eating a banana as your best potassium source—you get TWICE as much potassium in a bowl of this red lentil stew!
Make Weeknight Dinners EASY with One Pot Red Lentil Stew!
So, what are you waiting for? This healthy vegan dinner comes complete with hearty protein, loads of essential nutrients, AND you only need one pot to make it?? Basically, one pot red lentil stew = no-brainer. Give it a whirl!
Red Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb red lentils, uncooked
- 1 can, 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups water
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté onions and garlic in oil for about 5 minutes, until tender.
- Add lentils, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, bring the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for around 30 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. Stir occasionally to make sure they aren’t sticking to the bottom.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
- Store in an air-tight container. Lasts 4-5 days in the fridge, or 1 month in the freezer. Thaw out frozen stew the night before eating.
- Reheat until warmed through in the microwave or on the stove.
2 Comments on “Vegan Red Lentil Stew | One Pot Dinner”
One of my favorite recipes ever! Sometimes I add oregano and thyme to the mix.
YAY so glad to hear that! Thank you 🙂 and thanks for trying the recipe!