Take dry lentils to the next level with these simple but richly flavored braised lentils! This recipe is great as a side dish or as a main served over potatoes or toast.
Lentils are one of the most budget-friendly and nutritious proteins that you can eat, so I wanted to come up with a recipe that makes them the star of dinner!
Inspired by the flavors in my Lentil Mushroom Bake and Lentil Shepherd's Pie, these lentils are stewed with rich ingredients like tomato paste and balsamic vinegar.
The result is a 30-ish minute main dish that's perfect served over baked potatoes, grits, and rice. If you have my cookbook, this recipe is adapted from the Upside Down Lentil Shepherd's Pie recipe.
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Ingredients
- Brown lentils: Green lentils also work, they just take a little longer to cook. Red and orange lentils don't work here, but black lentils do (they just have a bit of a different texture because they are smaller.)
- Vegetable broth: For this recipe, I like using Better than Bouillon vegetable base because it has a rich beef stew-like flavor. But any broth works in a pinch!
- Balsamic vinegar: This adds rich flavor. I like to use it interchangeably with red wine, especially if I already have a bottle over. I typically use ¼ cup of red wine.
- Brown sugar: I find that sugar balances out the acidity of the tomatoes and balsamic, while adding the slightest caramel flavor.
- Herbs: Dry rosemary and thyme can be replaced with 3x the amount (1 ½ teaspoons) chopped fresh rosemary and thyme.
- Onions and mushrooms: I prefer sweet yellow onion and baby bella mushrooms here. The onions are cooked a bit longer than normal so that they are ultra-golden and flavorful, but not quite caramelized.
Step-by-step instructions
I like to cook the lentils separately for this recipe. I tested it as an all-in-one recipe, and found that it made the lentils take longer to cook. You can definitely do this as a one pot recipe, just add at least 10 minutes to the estimated cooking time.
- Heat a medium sauce-pot or braising pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until starting to turn golden.
- Add the mushrooms and continue cooking another 10 minutes, until the onion is deepened in color and the mushrooms are starting to turn golden. Stir every few minutes.
- Stir in the salt, garlic, and herbs, cooking another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is golden. Add the tomato paste, toasting another 30 seconds. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar.
- Add the cooked lentils with the broth and the brown sugar. Gently simmer, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes. This allows the lentils to soak up the flavor and the sauce to reduce. For a less brothy result, serve with a slotted spoon.
Serving ideas
There are a lot of ways to turn stewed lentils in a meal. Here are my favorite combinations that I tried while testing this recipe:
- Over a buttered baked potato with frozen peas (this is a great quick dinner option)
- Over Garlicky Mashed Potatoes with Lemon Roasted Green Beans (a little more elevated than the above, all the same delicious flavors!)
- Over grits with Air Fryer Roasted Carrots (my personal favorite!)
- With one of the above veggies and Herby Garlic Toast
Storage tips
- Storage: Let cool to room temp before refrigerating. Best within 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Stewed lentils reheat best on the stove but the microwave also gets the job done. Add to a sauce pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes very well. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight freezer container. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Yes, canned lentils work!
Just use two cans of drained and rinsed lentils in place of the dry lentils. One can typically has around 1 ½ cups lentils, so it's about an equal swap.
When adding the lentils to the mushrooms and onions, add ½ cup to 1 cup vegetable broth.
More ways to cook beans
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
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Braised Lentils with Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry brown lentils see note #1
- 3 cups vegetable broth see note #2
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided (or ½ teaspoon table salt)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet yellow onion diced
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms diced
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dry rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dry thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- grated Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Rinse and sort the lentils, removing any shriveled lentils or debris. Add to a medium sauce pot with the vegetable broth and ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover. Simmer until the lentils are tender, about 25 minutes, but I've found some lentils take up to 35 minutes. Don't drain.
- Meanwhile, heat a tall walled skillet or braising pan over medium heat. A sauce pot or Dutch oven also works. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the diced onion. Cook for 5 minutes, until starting to turn golden.
- Add the mushrooms and continue cooking another 10 minutes, until the onion is deepened in color and the mushrooms are starting to turn golden. Stir every few minutes.
- Stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, garlic, rosemary, and thyme, cooking another 2-3 minutes, until the garlic is golden. Add the tomato paste, toasting another 30 seconds. Deglaze with balsamic vinegar, stirring to remove any stuck-on bits.
- Stir in the cooked lentils with the broth and the brown sugar. Gently simmer, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes. This allows the lentils to soak up the flavors and the sauce to reduce. For a less brothy result, serve with a slotted spoon.
- Add freshly ground black pepper and grated Parmesan, to taste. Serve over mashed potatoes or a baked potato, grits, or garlic toast. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Lentils: Two cans of (drained and rinsed) lentils can be used in place of dry. Add ½ to 1 cup of vegetable broth when adding the lentils. Dry brown, green, or black lentils work, but cook times will vary. Orange and red lentils don't work.
- Broth: For this recipe, I like using Better than Bouillon vegetable base. I stir 1 tablespoon of bouillon into the pot with the cold lentils and water.
- Storage: Let cool to room temp before refrigerating. Best within 3-4 days.
- Reheating: Stewed lentils reheat best on the stove but the microwave also gets the job done. Add to a sauce pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot.
- Freezing: This recipe freezes very well. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight freezer container. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Nutrition
Mr. Wilson of the Moment
It's been a while since a new recipe post, and trust that Mr. Wilson has been up to all kinds of shenanigans in the meantime!
To continue with the recent theme of sewing, I made Mr. Wilson a quilt square that matches him. The goal is for him to sit on this instead of my fabric when I'm at the sewing machine. So far it's working!
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