It's September! It might still feel like summer now, but in a few short weeks, the temperatures will drop and it'll be time to break out your cozy sweaters and partake in all things pumpkin spice. And then there's fall cooking!
As much as we love sweet corn and summer grilling, we're still pretty excited to start working some hearty soups and stews back into our dinnertime rotation.
This Golden French Lentil Stew is the kind of comforting, filling dinner that's perfect for chilly fall nights. French lentils don't fall apart like some other varieties, so they're practically made for recipes like this one.
They're combined with greens and veggies in a creamy turmeric-spiked broth. The best part? Leftovers can be popped in the freezer for later. Win!
Oh She Glows Every Day is the latest cookbook from Angela Liddon. We adored her first cookbook, so we had big expectations for this one and we weren't disappointed.
With over 100 plant-based recipes, this book will be well-loved in any vegetarian kitchen. It's full of gorgeous photos and no-fuss recipes that make weeknight dinners so much easier.
Purchase Oh She Glows Every Day on Amazon.com.
Recipe reprinted from Oh She Glows Every Day by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2016, Glo Bakery Corporation. Photographs copyright © 2016 by Ashley McLaughlin.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup 125 mL raw cashews, or ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 mL) raw sunflower seeds
- 2 cups 500 mL water
- 2 tablespoons 30 mL extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, diced, or 2 leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced (about 2 cups/500 mL)
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons/ 30 mL minced)
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons 5 to 7 mL fine sea salt, to taste, plus a couple pinches
- 2 medium carrots, diced (1 heaping cup/275 mL)
- 2 stalks celery, diced (¾ cup/175 mL)
- 2 teaspoons 10 mL ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons 7 mL dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon 5 mL ground turmeric
- 1 14-ounce/398 mL can of diced tomatoes, with juices
- ¾ cup 175 mL uncooked French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 4 cups 1 L low-sodium vegetable broth
- 3 cups 750 mL stemmed and chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves
- Black Pepper
- 1 to 2 teaspoons 5 to 10 mL white wine vinegar, to taste
Instructions
- Put the cashews in a bowl and cover with a couple of inches of water. Soak for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. (For a quick-soak method, cover with boiling water and soak for 30 to 60 minutes.) Drain and rinse. Transfer the cashews to a high-speed blender along with ½ cup (125 mL) of the water. Blend on high until super smooth and creamy in texture. Set the cashew cream aside.
- In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, and a couple pinches of salt, and sauté until the onion is softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and celery, and cook for another few minutes or so. Stir in the cumin, thyme, and turmeric until combined.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, lentils, broth, and remaining water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
- Stir in the cashew cream and chard. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. (The vinegar's role is to add a little bit of brightness to the soup; add a bit at a time and keep tasting, as it can quickly overwhelm.) Cook for a couple of minutes over low-medium heat, until the chard is wilted, and then serve. This stew will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for 1 to 2 months (always let it cool completely before storing). The stew will thicken after sitting in the fridge; you can thin it out with a bit of broth when you reheat it, if desired, or simply serve it thick with some crusty bread.
Janine says
I never thought about adding cashews to a soup. What a great idea to make it more creamy. I also cook a lentil soup when it's cold outside. But my main ingredient are lentils, coconut and tomatoes. A classic soup. LOL. Need to try this one out because it's getting colder in Germany. xoxo Janine
Gem says
I love Oh She Glows website as well. And this dish just looks so delicious and creamy! I want to try it out now! When it gets cooler in Singapore 😉
Deb Oswald says
So what would you sub for the cashew cream? I''m not vegan, and definitely enjoy dairy. Cream? sour cream?
Angela says
Hey Deb,
You can leave it out in a pinch (it won't be as rich but still tasty) or you could even try coconut milk! I hope this helps 🙂
Vicky & Ruth- May I Have That Recipe says
Cant believe summer is almost gone!! This stew looks amazing, we love Oh She Glows too 🙂
Angela says
Kiersten, thank you so much for your lovely words!! It means a lot. 🙂 So happy you're enjoying the book so far!
xo
Theresa@aloveafare says
I agree French lentils do hold together nicely, especially in soup. Comfort food is on the top of my list this month and this recipe sounds great! This is my first time commenting on your site and yes I read the comment policy. Good job. No room for negativity!
Julie Heyd says
I made this tonight and it is super tasty! Loved it.
Jenng says
We loved this! I used the sunflower seed options to add creaminess and admit I had my doubts on how that would turn out. I absolutely LOVED this stew and highly recommend it and the Oh She Glows cookbook!
Vibeke says
Wow! This recipe is AMAZING!!! So delicious! Thank you for sharing it. (I omitted the oil and salt and used kale instead of chard. I also used sherry vinegar because I didn't have white wine vinegar.)
Charlotte Lee says
Oh my goodness, this was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! WOW! Great flavor! It seemed too healthy to taste so good but it was just the right flavor. I had some left over roasted potatoes that I ended up adding just to use them up and that didn't hinder the taste at all. Thank you for an amazing dish that will now be a staple
tovie says
Made this last night. It is soooo good! I did kick the heat level up quite a bit, I like my food spicy, and I had a half can of coconut milk sitting on the counter leftover from what I'd just made previously and I used that instead of the cashew cream (I never remember to soak those darn cashews). It's sort of a curry-y thing anyway and the coconut flavor went well with it. Thanks for sharing!
Beki says
I had to leave out the tomato and garlic due to food sensitivities in my 4 year old, so I added extra vinegar and uses red wine vinegar instead of white (3 TB), and this is still AMAZING STEW. We will have it again and again.
jackie pickett says
Very good, my kids ate it and me and my husband loved it. I will make this a couple of times a month.
Jeannie says
Can I use tahini instead of the nuts?
Katie Trant says
Hey Jeannie, we haven't tried that substitution, but it sounds like it could work. If you do try please let us know how it turns out!
Brigitte says
I am just done cooking this recipe !! I used 1tea spoon of dry sweet curry with the turmeric . I omitted the cumin , my vegetables were cauliflower , sweet potato, carrots , broccoli stalks onions and celery . I put 1 fresh tomato . This was so freaking good I sautéed all my vegetables and added the spices, garlic, tomatoes and added to my lentils after 15 Minutes cooking .. but what makes the dish is your cashew cream awsome what a great versatile recipe. I saw a lot of similar recipes but your really had the best ingredients ..thanks
Katie Trant says
Yum! Your modifications sound great, Brigitte, thanks for sharing with us 🙂
shar says
my broth looks blackish gray. taste is great but not very appetizing. Is there anything i can do about that?
Roza gutsulyak says
Is there information if this can be instant pot friendly?
Caroline says
This stew is extraordinary! The first time I have used cashew cream and it totally makes this soup! I have made this a bunch of times now and share with friends as well. So tasty, healthy, and nourishing! I always double the recipe and freeze in serving size portions. That way, I can always have this yummy soup whenever I feel like it! Love Oh She Glows and enjoy her cookbooks and IG too.