Inside Scoop: This beefless stew is your perfect Meatless Monday fix!
This recipe was submitted by Debra Klein, Certified Holistic Health Coach and personal trainer.
Are you a fan of stew?
There’s something that happens deep down within my core when the weather turns cold, and here in Canada it gets mighty cold.
All I want is warm food!
Which makes sense, it’s freezing cold, and our bodies naturally shift towards warming foods like soups and stews, and heartier vegetables like potatoes and carrots.
Stew is probably one of the most perfect winter foods, in my humble opinion!
But, something else I like to do, especially during the winter, is reduce my intake of meat. For some reason I just find it easier in the winter to eat less meat than in the summer. It’s probably because soups, baked veggies, pasta and heartier meals are so much easier to make in a plant-based fashion in the winter, it’s really hard to mess up stewed vegetables if you have the right kind of ingredients.
Try A Beefless Stew Instead Of A Beef Containing Stew
If my hubs can dive into this beefless stew, with lentils and veggies, and be totally okay eating a meat-free meal, then I would just like to say that I think you can too!
Actually, this beefless stew tastes really amazing, and I would just like to give a shout out to Debra Klein for passing on her meat-free lentil stew recipe to us, because this is my new favourite way to do stew.
Lentils have a meaty texture, we love creating meatballs with them, make chili with them, all in all they are really just awesome as a beef alternative.
And you don’t need to fret about leaving the table feeling unsatisfied or hungry, lentils are a powerhouse legume that contain:
- 25% protein, making them an amazing meat alternative
- Slow release carbohydrates, helping to balance your macros
- A LOAD of prebiotic fiber, helping to feed your healthy gut bacteria
- Other essential vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, folate, potassium and iron
So, not only is this beefless stew a great plant-based alternative to your traditional beef stew, but it is loaded with all kinds of good for you ingredients.
Make Meatless Monday Your B!tch!
Maybe you’ve heard of the concept of taking one day a week to eat a vegetarian or vegan meal, or maybe you are actively trying to eat more plants and less meat, because you know that not only is less meat better for your body, but it’s also better for the planet.
Either way, this beefless stew recipe is a total Meatless Monday WIN!
You may even think you’re eating a stew that contains meat!?! That good we would say!
So, why don’t you test it out for just one week. Dive into a big bowl of lentil stew on your Meatless Monday, or Meatless Sunday, or whatever day of the week that suits you best.
PRO TIP > this beefless stew with lentils takes awhile to cook, so we would definitely recommend doubling up the batch and cooking it on a Sunday. That way you have leftovers for the weeks to come and a nice hearty Sunday dinner!
We promise your meatless nights just got really really delicious!
And if you’re looking for other meatless Monday inspo, make sure you check out this Winter Squash, Leek & Vegetable Soup, and serve both up with a side of these delicious Cauliflower Buns.
In the meantime, if you’re loving how easy it is to put this plant-based recipe together, and if you’re looking for access to other plant-based inspiration and tips, make sure you sign up for our 5 Ingredient Challenge.
You’ll get a free 5 ingredient cookbook + 5 daily emails with health tips that you can easily apply today to make your life healthier for the long-run. Check out the challenge here:
Have you ever had a beefless stew before? Let us know what you thought in the comments below.
Hearty Beefless Stew With Lentils
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup lentils pre-cooked (or buy canned)
- 1 tsp Italian spices
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 2 large potatoes chopped (Yukon gold)
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 2 tsp arrowroot powder
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups veggie broth
- 1 cup greens cut into thin strips. I used curly green kale. You could also use red kale, lacinato kale, collard greens, chard, spinach or bok choy.
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300
- Heat an oven-proof pot over medium heat. Swirl in olive oil and then add the finely chopped onions and celery. Saute until translucent and then add the garlic, spices and the cooked lentils. Continue to stir and cook for 3 minutes, careful so the garlic doesn’t burn.
- Pour in the wine and Worcestershire, using it to deglaze the pan and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in carrots and potatoes and let cook while you make the tomato mixture.
- In a large glass measuring cup, mix arrowroot powder with warm water, and tomato paste. Stir into pot to thoroughly incorporate, and then add the veggie broth. If liquid doesn’t completely cover all veggies, add more broth or water until it does.
- Cover pot and then transfer to preheated oven. Cook, covered, for 40 minutes.
- Uncover, stir well and then cook for another 20 minutes, until potatoes and carrots are soft. If there isn’t enough liquid, add more broth or water.
- Remove from oven, and stir in greens to wilt.
Recipe Notes
Optional: 1-2 stalks of rosemary, sweet potato or mushrooms
Debra Klein
Debra is a certified holistic health coach and personal trainer. She teaches healthy cooking classes in the greater Boston area, leads wellness workshops for corporate clients as well as individual health coaching in person and via Skype. Debra believes that through lifestyle choices, everyone has the ability to achieve vibrant good health.
Follow Debra on Facebook, Instagram, and check out her website at https://debraklein.com/!
i love cake but hate icing. loving the chocolate mint moose
Thanks for your comment Jasper, the chocolate mint mousse is one of our favourite recipes. https://naughtynutrition.co/recipes/desserts/vegan-minty-chocolate-mousse/
Hope you like this stew too 😉
Thanks for featuring my no beef stew recipe. It’s a nutritious, delicious and EASY recipe that vegans AND meat lovers all enjoy. AND, your photos are beautiful!