French Lentil Rice Mushroom Stew

Recipe by monkeyandmekitchenadventures.com

Calling all lentil lovers! These amazing little legumes are shining bright in this flavorful and comforting French Lentil Rice Mushroom Stew that is sure to warm you up like a big cozy hug. Protein-packed lentils, zesty onions, earthy garlic, crisp celery, sweet carrots, hearty mushrooms, earthy baby spinach, and chewy rice, simmered to perfection in an aromatic broth, now that’s a dinner worth writing home about. Plus, we made it easy by providing both Instant Pot and stove top instructions –win, win! This dish is filled with all your favorite healthy wholesome ingredients. Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.

Servings

Total time

41 minutes

Cuisines

French

Courses

Soups and stews

Ingredients

1 cup red onions (small dice)
¼ cup carrots (shredded)
⅓ cup carrots (sliced into coins)
½ cup celery (small dice)
8 oz cremini mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons reduced sodium tamari
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup vegan red wine
½ cup brown basmati rice (or rice of choice)
1 cup French lentils (dry, uncooked, or brown or green lentils)
2 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water (or broth)
1¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1¼ teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves ((+/-))
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cumin (+/-)
1 teaspoon sea salt ((+/-))
¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
3 cups baby spinach (chopped)
¼ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary (+/-)
parsley (chopped)

Method

Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients except the dried crushed rosemary in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
Prepare all the veggies and mushrooms, set aside.
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté (high) mode, then add the minced red onion, carrots (both grated and coins), celery, mushrooms and tamari, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies start to soften and the mushrooms reduce in size. Then add the garlic and tomato paste, sauté for one minute. Then add the Spice/Herb mix and red wine, stirring constantly for one minute. Add the rice, stir to coat, about 30 seconds. Then add the lentils, broth and water. Stir to combine.
Press Cancel, then set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 14 minutes. When finished, press Canceland allow to sit for 5 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, pull out the bay leaves and discard, then stir in the baby spinach and dried crushed rosemary. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasoning at this time, stir to combine, allow a few minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve topped with chopped parsley.
Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, except the dried crushed rosemary, mix well, set aside.
Prepare all the veggies and mushrooms, set aside.
In a ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven or similarly large stock pot, add the minced red onions, carrots (both grated and coins), celery, mushrooms and tamari. sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the veggies start to soften and the mushrooms reduce in size. Then add the garlic and tomato paste, sauté for one minute. Then add the Spice/Herb mix and red wine, stirring constantly for one minute. Add the rice, stir to coat, about 30 seconds. Then add the lentils, broth and water. Stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer, cover with a lid. Simmer for approximately 35 to 45 minutes until the lentils and rice are tender.
Once tender, remove the lid, pull out the bay leaves and discard, then stir in the baby spinach and dried crushed rosemary. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasoning at this time, stir to combine, allow a few minutes for the flavors to marry. Note: You may need to add some additional broth if the stew is too thick. Serve topped with chopped parsley.