This rich, thick stew will taste like you spent hours making it, but it comes together quickly with frozen vegetables and canned lentils.
I’d hoped to be sharing a Halloween recipe with you, but life has been getting in the way of cooking lately.
The other night I went into the kitchen to make a last-minute dinner of my Dirty Little Secret Soup but wound up making so many changes that it took on an entirely new character. I had about 2/3 of a cup of leftover pumpkin puree that I wanted to use up, so I changed the other ingredients and seasonings to complement it. And do you know what happens when you add pumpkin and quinoa to soup? It thickens so much that it’s not soup anymore but stew!
The recipe is ridiculously easy because I used frozen vegetables and canned lentils, but if you want to do it the slow way, chop your own veg and cook your own lentils. I’m sure fresh ingredients will make this flavorful and deeply satisfying stew even more delicious.
P.S. I may still get around to creating a Halloween dish, but until then, check the bottom of this post for links to vegan Halloween treats.
Ridiculously Easy Lentil and Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic cloves minced
- 2 12-ounce packages frozen vegetables* (or 2 pounds fresh vegetables cut in bite-sized pieces)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (preferably fire-roasted)
- 1 15-ounce can cooked lentils (or 1 1/2 cups cooked lentils and cooking liquid)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or “no-chicken” broth
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
- 1/2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/3 cup quinoa rinsed very well
- 2/3 cup pumpkin (canned or cooked and water pressed out)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the onion in a large, non-stick Dutch oven until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add next 7 ingredients and cook until vegetables thaw and broth begins to boil.
- Add quinoa and cook on medium heat until it is tender, about 15 minutes. Add pumpkin and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 5 more minutes, adding a little water if it seems too thick. Serve hot, garnished with parsley, if desired.
Notes
Nutritional info is approximate.
For a Spooktacular Vegan Halloween:
- Spooky Black Bean Hummus on this blog
- Pumpkin Cookies on this blog
- Witches Fingers at Novel Eats
- Ghastly Tortilla Chips & Ghoul-camole at Manifest Vegan
- An Orange and Black Halloween Menu from Robin Robertson
- Two Savory Halloween Treats at VegSpinz
- Healthy Halloween Cookie Dough Balls from Oh She Glows
- Healthy Raw Halloween Recipes at Happy Raw Kitchen
- Raw Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes at Rawdorable
Please pin and share!
Jessica @vegbooks
October 28, 2010 at 9:35 amYum! I can’t wait to try this — the addition of pumpkin is inspired!
Helen
October 28, 2010 at 9:39 amThis looks so yummy! Definitely on next week’s menu!
Diane Barnett
October 28, 2010 at 9:45 amIs there a difference between smoked paprika and smoked “hot” paprika? I have never seen the latter. Thanks
SusanV
October 28, 2010 at 10:05 amDiane, it’s just a spicier version of smoked paprika. If you have the regular kind, you can use it and add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you want a touch of spice. Chipotle chile pepper would also make a good substitute.
JL Goes Vegan
October 28, 2010 at 9:53 amRidiculous and Easy….two of my favorite words!!! 🙂 This looks delicious!
Samantha
October 28, 2010 at 10:00 amMmmm… I love stew! So perfect for this time of year, too.
Thanks for linking to my Witches Fingers! I hope you do post a Halloween recipe – I love seeing the creativity of food bloggers at this time of year. 🙂
Sayward
October 28, 2010 at 10:42 amHey Susan! Love your blog as always, and LOVE lentil soup. I am so happy it’s soup season again. =)
I look forward to hearing you speak at VCon – I’ll be speaking there as well. It’s going to be such an amazing event!
DeeDee
October 28, 2010 at 11:35 amSusan`-> My family loves lentil and vegetable stew, especially during snowstorms.
Thank you for your recipe. We always knew your blog was and is on the very short list of best of the best: elegant, generous, creative…. other vegan aficianodos’ fill in the blanks.
Kimberly
October 28, 2010 at 1:37 pmThis sounds great, I’ll definitely try this recipe. I always love super easy/quick recipes since some days after work chopping a slew of veggies just is NOT what I feel like doing. I’ve tried many of your recipes in the past and loved them all, thanks!
Marian
October 28, 2010 at 1:46 pmThis was so easy-peasy AND delicious! it’s got a nice “bite” to it – maybe from the combination of the fire-roasted canned tomatoes & the cumin. SO YUMBO! thank you, Susan!!
Gloria Kersh
October 28, 2010 at 2:45 pmCongrats on the win!!! I really enjoy your blog and your recipes. And I’m def going to try this with fresh veggies.
Jeanette
October 28, 2010 at 2:59 pmCongratulations on winning the VegNews Magazine blog award. I really enjoy your blog, so I’m thrilled for you. This recipe sounds really hearty and warm. It would probably be good with barley too. I’ll have to make this for my friends with cancer. It’s really nutrient dense.
DJ Karma (VegSpinz)
October 28, 2010 at 3:21 pmI love making anything that is ridiculously easy, especially when it looks so tasty! Also, thank you for including me in your Halloween round-up! 🙂
Mary (What's Cookin' with Mary)
October 28, 2010 at 5:56 pmI love when the title can be no other than ‘ridiculously easy… (fill in the blank)’. Just makes the food nerd in me smile 🙂
Lentils are definitely one of my most favorite foods. Especially as we come into fall. I made my first successful Indian dal dish the other day (click over if you’d like to see pictures) with wonderful results and this recipe looks like it would fit the bill too! Thanks for this great recipe Susan.
I’m sure you’ve answered this before, but what is the difference between Mexican and regular oregano ?
I feel like this would be realllly good in the slow cooker too. Love that!! Will definitely have to try this one out. – mary
Amber Shea @Almost Vegan
October 28, 2010 at 7:20 pmThe stew looks GREAT, a BIG congrats on winning in VegNews, and maybe-just-maybe the stars will align and I’ll make it to Vida Vegan!
thegreatmimi
October 29, 2010 at 3:08 amSusan, you have to get rid of the drop down ads. I use a netbook and it is impossible to read the blog with a drop down every 2 minutes. Love your recipes.
SusanV
October 29, 2010 at 7:40 amSorry about that! They’re only supposed to appear once per visitor. Can you write me and let me know which ad or ads it is? kitchen AT fatfreevegan DOT com.
Tracy
October 29, 2010 at 10:53 amEasy indeed! Thanks for the share,it would be ridiculous not to try this=)
Robin Robertson
October 29, 2010 at 12:06 pmHey Susan,
Congrats on winning the VegNews award! And thanks for including a link to my Halloween menu — I call it a “Halloween Boo-fet”!
Joanne
October 29, 2010 at 2:27 pmCongratulations on the award. That’s terrific and you so deserve it.
I love all these recipes you post. They make my mouth water every time.
Not sure if interested, you or your readers, but I have a terrific 5 day Yoga course giveaway. Please go to my site and check it out. Thanks and Congrats once again 🙂
Sarah
October 29, 2010 at 2:29 pmCongratulations!
I’ve never thought to add pumpkin to a lentil vegetable stew – I must try this!
Madhu
October 30, 2010 at 12:22 amCongratulations on the award. The stew looks colorful and delicious. What sort of lentils did you use? Brown lentils or red lentils?
SusanV
October 30, 2010 at 12:40 amThanks, Madhu! I used brown lentils, specifically Westbrae Organics canned lentils.
Laina
October 30, 2010 at 2:02 pmYou’re the winner in my book. Tasty, healthy, lowtono fat, vegan recipes………what more could I possibly want. hee hee!!!
I made this last night and it was delicious. I used the last of my veggies from my garden, zucchini and eggplant. I also used celery, carrot, onion, garlic and the rest of your recipe ingredients.
I didn’t have the hot paprika so I add some crushed red pepper. I upped the spices a little. I also added a dash of cloves and a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. This is a winner!!!!!!!! I’ll probably add some chives on top of it today.
Thanks, Susan for another wonderful recipe. I really love the pumpkin in it and also the quinoa!
Angela
October 30, 2010 at 6:46 pmCongratulations on the award, Susan, you deserve it! I love reading your posts and all the recipes I have tried from it get rave reviews (from my family, guests and me!)
Happy Halloween!
amanda
October 31, 2010 at 8:28 amthis looks like the perfect healthy stew for a busy, poor graduate student! thank you so much!!!
Megan
October 31, 2010 at 8:46 amHi Susan! I love making your “Secret Soup” so this will definitely be something I’ll try. Also, I think I will probably be attending the conference in Portland next summer. It’ll be great to connect with other bloggers and actually get to put faces with so many blog-names.
Congrats on your award. You deserve it!
Leslie
October 31, 2010 at 3:01 pmThis is cooking one my stove as I write this. I used fresh veggies, zucchini, carrot, celery, bok choy, parsnip, onion and leek. I simmered the veggies for about 20 minutes til tender then added the quinoa. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Michelle
October 31, 2010 at 3:31 pmI just want to thank you for your blog. I return to it anytime I am stumped for dinner ideas. Your hard work is well appreciated!
Alessandra
October 31, 2010 at 7:53 pmYes this is easy and sounds delicious! First time here, great space, I’ll be back 🙂
Jenna
October 31, 2010 at 11:05 pmCongrats on the award! You definitely deserve it. As a fellow southerner, it makes me so happy to see such a successful healthy vegan blogger from the deep south.
I made this tonight almost exactly as written except I cooked the lentils and added some cardamom – it was quite tasty!
One question: Do you have any tips for rinsing quinoa? I have a tiny-holed, metal sieve and the itty bitty quinoa grains still get through. I really enjoy quinoa, but sometimes avoid it because I always have so much trouble rinsing it.
SusanV
October 31, 2010 at 11:18 pmThanks, Jenna! I like to think I’m doing my part to veganize the South–no matter how long it takes! 🙂
As for the quinoa, I have an old, beat-up strainer that I use, one of those that looks like it’s made from screen (like from a window). It’s the only thing I have that will keep the grains in, and when it finally falls apart and I can’t find another one, I’ll probably go to the hardware store and buy some screen and use it to line a colander. So that’s my weird but practical suggestion. Good luck!
Fiona
November 24, 2010 at 7:09 pmJenna,
You can buy re-usable produce bags at Whole Foods that are made of a mesh-like material. I use these not only in place of plastic bags at the grocery store, but for rinsing quinoa under the tap. It works really well!
Jill
January 5, 2016 at 8:03 pmI use my French press to drain quinoa.
Jill
January 5, 2016 at 8:05 pmRinse and drain, I mean. You can also rinse it in a tall glass and pour out the water a few times, and put a cheesecloth or paper towel over the opening on the last rinse and drain.
The Vegetable Lady
November 1, 2010 at 3:44 pmIt sounds delicious. I suppose the ingredients would make a good soup, too.
jodye @ 'scend food
November 1, 2010 at 3:49 pmI love the idea of this stew; it’s a combination of all of the foods that I normally eat in separate dishes, so this would make my dinner preparation about 20 times easier! Looks delicious, as always!
pb
November 1, 2010 at 10:35 pmThis looks easy and full of good nutrition as always..
congrats on winning!
Kim
November 2, 2010 at 12:05 pmJust wanted to say I absolutely love this site! Great recipes!
Rhonda
November 3, 2010 at 8:31 amHey Susan..can I use sweet potato instead of pumpkin? Out of it now after Halloween 🙂
SusanV
November 3, 2010 at 8:42 amSure! Cooked sweet potato could be mashed, like pumpkin, but I also think it would be nice to cut raw sweet potato into small cubes and add it at the beginning.
Mary
November 3, 2010 at 10:05 pmSusan you did it again! Another winner. I portioned out the stew into several containers. Do you think it will freeze well?
Lizzy
November 5, 2010 at 4:47 amI had the same question as Rhonda..I hate pumpkins so was looking out for an alternative…Thanks for the tip
Melyssa
November 5, 2010 at 11:09 pmI made this for dinner tonight and it was soooo very good! Thank you.
Renee
November 6, 2010 at 11:57 amJust got done eating a bowl. YUMMY! I cannot believe so much goodness (and good for you) in one bowl. Loved it! thanks for sharing.
Jen
November 6, 2010 at 12:33 pmThis looks like a great recipe Susan and I’m planning on trying it this weekend. My stomach is already growling! 🙂
Johanna
November 6, 2010 at 3:15 pmWow, this looks yummie. Mmm.
JoLynn-dreaminitvegan
November 6, 2010 at 6:22 pmCongrats on winning the Veg News Blog Award! I really hope to make it to the blogger conference.
I’m making a lentil soup tonight.