Lentil Mushroom Stew Over Mashed Potatoes

I made this and it was like a liquid warmth straight to my chilled bones. I did have to make several substitutions, since I don’t have coconut aminos or shallots in my local grocery store. I used diced onion in place of shallots at a 1:1 ratio, and a mix of balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce in place of coconut aminos. I’d really recommend soy sauce as the first substitute here, though. I did end up adding regular milk and butter to my mashed potatoes, and this made them richer and more creamy. I also had to add some potato boiling water to my lentil/mushroom mix and put a lid over to soften my lentils a bit longer than what was called for. I added tomato paste, even though I don’t think I needed it. Tastes really lovely, thank you!

The flavor of this dish was good; however, mine had the consistency more of a soup than a stew.
I wanted to thicken it so I pureed some of the lentils and added another spoonful of potatoes. I think perhaps my lentils were not cooked enough because they were still quite firm and chewy after 20 minutes of cooking (I did the overnight soak).

Absolutely delicious, and even better the next day when sauce has thickened up more. I didn’t follow recipe exactly but used as a guide. I added carrots, garlic and used different spices as don’t like thyme (coriander, fresh oregano, cumin), used soy sauce in place of coconut aminos and made mash with mixture of sweet potato and normal. So good – thank you!

wow this was so good that I am cooking this again today. Seriously yesterday I was cooking this recipe after a long day and when it came out, I felt alive again, it was so easy to make and so so delicious!! I made mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, added in a bit of almond milk. The sweetness of sweet potato went so well with the saltiness of the dish!

Delicious and simple. I didnt use the tomato paste, but I might next time just to see but it didn’t need it. I poured it over riced cauliflower because I didnt have potatoes and it was still super tasty. Can’t wait to try it with potatoes.

Very good comfort food. I made this without the tomato paste. I used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos.

This was wonderful! I used canned lentils to make it quicker, and followed the recipe otherwise. I usually make riced cauliflower mashed potatoes, and will do that next time. Definitely will be making this again!

I’m working on putting together a collection of easy vegan dinner recipes, (preferably with leftovers.) This was absolutely delicious and satisfying! I used tamari and brown lentils, but otherwise followed the recipe precisely. The lentils took much longer to cook for me, and I think next time I might add some parsnips to the mashed potatoes for variety, but still a solid winner. Thank you!

I love this recipe! I’ve made it for years. (I believe it had a different name but everything else is the same.) It is always is so good and one of my winter staples that I make a lot this time of year. Thanks for all your creative tasty dishes!

This was fabulous. My doubting kids even enjoyed it. Made it without the tomato paste and thought it had plenty of flavor.

Really good. I used soy sauce instead of coconut aminos. I made rice instead of mashed potatoes and added a little gluten free flour to sauce to thicken since I didn’t have any mashed potatoes. I will make this again. Thanks for the recipe.

I’ve made this several times and it’s always delicious. It’s so nice to have a winner for the whole family that fills everybody’s food requirements. I usually add chopped carrots for interest and I usually stick with a glob of tomato paste in there. We all really love it. Next time i have a potluck to attend I plan to take it made up like a shepherd’s pie.
Note – black lentils will make the whole thing a weird shade of grey. Ask me how i know, haha. Thanks for this recipe! K

The mushroom lentil gravy was delicious. Like a few other folks, I made minor substitutions (dry rosemary, onion instead of shallot, added the tomato paste). The potatoes were quite dry, though, so I’ll make some modifications next time — perhaps add more broth to the gravy, as the recipe suggests. Otherwise, I’ll definitely make this again. Thank you!

This was delicious, and such a nice change of pace from pasta or rice. I used fresh rosemary, which is probably my favorite herb, plus some dried herb mix. My husband, who doesn’t like anything on his mashed potatoes except butter, just ate the lentil stew separately in a bowl and thought it was really good that way. I did put in the optional tomato paste to add more umami flavor. Thank you for a great recipe!

Made this tonight and it was delicious!
I made a double batch, couldn’t find shallots so I used yellow onion. I added minced garlic to the mushrooms, and also added a couple splashes of balsamic vinegar in addition to the soy sauce. I used a mixture of butter and olive oil for the mashed potatoes. I look forward to making this again, perfect comfort food meal.

Another incredible recipe!! My plan was to let it cool and flavors to blend before eating it…that did not happen! After reading all the reviews here, I made a double batch so I would have A LOT and I am so glad I did! Added the tomato paste, a bunch of black pepper, 2 tbsp cornstarch in place of potato, and ate it over wild rice. Also used baby bella mushrooms. Soaked the lentils overnight and it took no time to cook up! I don’t know the who’s and what’s of how this website has the best recipes ever, but it does, so, Thank you so much! Also, this is one of the easiest, low cost recipes I have ever made. Definitely making this many more times!

I’ve been making this recipe for years and I keep coming back to it! SO flavourful, satisfying and delicious. thank you <3

This was delicious and smelled great. The mashed potatoes were a great addition to this dish. Made as written. I think I soaked my lentils for about 4-6hrs and they cooked just fine in 20 mins.

This is absolutely DELICIOUS!!! The only change I made the second time was to soak the lentils in hot water for an hour, then drain and continue the recipe as written — they never made it to the right texture the first time, even though I cooked them 20 minutes longer than the original 20 minute instruction. Must’ve had weird lentils! LOL Anyhoo, soaking made it work perfectly for me — and we loved it so much that the second time I made a double batch! We ate it alone, spooned over baked potatoes or brown rice, even as a filling for enchiladas topped with vegan cheese sauce. We eat a ton of soup beans (navy and pinto mix), black beans, etc., but not many lentils, so it’s great to add them to our rotation. THANKS!! (though I have to say the pop-up ad along the bottom, the pop-up wanting to track my location, the moving ads in the right margin that don’t have an X to close….. whew… good thing I’m not epilectic or have ADHD because it’s just too much visual crap to ignore if I hadn’t wanted to leave a review, so I doubt I’ll be back)

Just made this stew for the first time, and my ONLY comment is that for me, I had to cook it 35 minutes for the green lentils to soften enough – not 20 minutes, so I had to add more water along the way. (will soak them next time) It is DELICIOUS!!! I added it to my weekly food prep for the fridge of roasted butternut squash, steamed potatoes, brown rice, crispy quinoa, steamed broccoli, fresh salad greens, vegan cheese sauce, etc., and am freaking excited to top any and all of these things! I used 1 tbsp of Braggs Liquid Aminos and found it a bit strong for my taste when eaten alone off a spoon, but know it will be perfect combined with a starch. THIS ROCKS! THANK YOU! (and as I type am thinking this would be amazing blended into a dip and scooped up with vegs and homemade corn tortilla chips)

I made this but used vegetable broth and white wine instead of aminos, as I had none. I didn’t feel like tomato sauce so just skipped them all together! It turned out very nice. More the flavour of a risotto for sure. Not sure how anyone expect lentils to cook in 20mins, hands down they take at least 40. So I had to add more water for the lentils.

So hearty and yum. Any instructions for cooking this in the Instant Pot?

This is wonderful! I made it into a stew using leftover baked potatoes cooked in the air fryer a couple of nights ago instead of mashed potatoes. I cut them up into big chunks and added them at the end so that they could re-heat. Also, I made a broth from white miso paste and water – great flavor. Finally, instead of tomato paste I used about 5 slices of dehydrated roma tomatoes from the summer bounty. All in all, great flavor and quick to put together. I will make this again! Thank you!

Delicious. I used shiitake and oyster mushrooms. But no amount of mashed potatoes was thickening the gravy. I ended up using quite a bit of cornstarch, even after using the low end amount of broth.

Made this over creamy polenta because I had some leftover. Yummy combo! I also threw some queso fresco on top because it was hanging around and it brought some night saltiness. There was a sweetness I wasn’t sure about…maybe from the coconut aminos? I would be curious to try with tamari next time. Overall pretty easy and very yummy and I will for sure make again. And I don’t usually like mushrooms!

Made this for lunch just now and it is DELICIOUS! I held off on the tomato paste actually because even as it was coming together I could tell there would be no need. There’s something about the way that mushrooms and thyme combine that is magic. As usual, I didn’t have a perfect set of ingredients, so I subbed finely chopped onion for shallots, and Bragg’s Aminos for Coconut Aminos. Don’t pass on the mashed potatoes element of this receipt! I left the skins on and mashed mine with a small amount of soy butter, salt and pepper (no milk, because I like my potatoes less wet). It truly is a hug in a meal!

This was the second year I made this for the vegan Thanksgiving entree. So full of flavor. I didn’t add mashed potatoes because I thought it was perfect. Served with mashed potatoes, vegan stuffing, and some delicious salads for an amazing vegan Thanksgiving.

This was a great, cheap, easy, comforting meal. I added some garlic to the onions, and some nutritional yeast to the potatoes. Only had dried thyme, but added some fresh dill to the finished dish. Another keeper! Thank you.

I did add a jump of tomato paste but I think it would have been fine without it. Also used soy sauce. Started with only 1 tbsp but added another when I was adjusting it after cooking. Needed to cook the lentils for a bit longer than the initial 20 minutes. My potatoes were a bit watery too but that’s my fault lol. Grated Parmesan before serving. Tasty and filling. Will make again.

I made this with cheesy polenta base. Not vegan, but dang, was it good! This is now on the list of food I would proud to serve to guests.

This recipe was absolute perfection! I followed the recipe exactly as written and it couldn’t have been better. My 7 year old, who isn’t always a fan of mushrooms, asked for seconds. As a bonus, it came together quickly making it the ideal weeknight meal. Only downside is that my family lived it so much that there aren’t enough leftovers for my lunch tomorrow!

So easy, delicious, and savory! I wasn’t feeling lentils though so I threw vegan apple sage field roast sausages in a food processor to replace them and I really liked the texture. It was like thanksgiving! Thank you MB!

This was delicious. We used a mixture of cremini and shiitakes. Our mash contained gold potatoes plus one white and one orange sweet potato, plus olive oil and oat milk. I added in some tomato powder near the end of the cooking time. Yum.

I just made this tonight, and it was absolutely perfect – warm, comforting, healthy and a good balance of flavors.
I didn’t have shallots, so I used onion (and added some minced garlic cause why not?!) I used mini portabellas, and I love the flavor they retain with the coconut aminos. The lentil stew with the mashed potato combo evokes thanksgiving but with an interesting depth of flavor. Thank you Minimalist Baker for the lovely, reliable recipes!

Thank you! This was really delicious. We loved it.
I had to cook mine much longer because I did not soak the lentils. I did a quick 15 min boil and it still took forever. Next time I will soak them.
I didn’t use tomato paste and it was perfect!

I made this last week after searching for a mushroom gravy recipe. It was delicious! I love the idea of making a meal out of mushroom gravy by adding lentils to make it more filling and give it some protein. It’s also a great recipe for when I’m feeling lazy because it doesn’t require sauteing the mushrooms. I also love the vegan mashed potato recipe that is a part of this recipe. I have saved this recipe under my “vegan_faves” bookmark and I will definitely be making it on a regular basis all fall and winter!

I made the lentil mushroom stew over mashed potatoes tonight. Although we are not vegan, this was a delicious dish and very different than what we are used to having. Definitely recommend it for ease of preparation and a unique dish.

Really good. It’s tough to find comfort food that the cheese and meat eaters in my house will accept. On this rainy, cold evening it totally fit the bill for the whole family. I substituted homemade chicken broth in both potatoes and stew and went for about 1tsp of tomato paste just for colour. Thanks for such a delightful recipe.

This is a quick and easy meal. I love tomatoes so added a chopped tomato toward the end of cooking. It was great with nutritional yeast sprinkled on top.

Delicious and very easy to make. Only substitute I did was to use soya sauce Instead of the coconut aminos as I didn’t have any on hand. Will definetely be making again! Thanks

This was a perfect “use what’s in the pantry” recipe! Used canned brown lentils instead of green, replaced coconut aminos with soy sauce because that’s what we already had in the fridge. Omitted tomato paste.
Added nutlex vegan butter to the mash, cracked pepper. Added garlic powder to the mushroom lentil mix. Didn’t bother peeling the potatoes at all, and it was still delish. :)
Omitted vegan cheese because it’s pricey at the moment.
Only regret is not making more of it. Will keep this one on file for go-to easy meals to make in bulk.

Wow! This was delicious! I used dried thyme and added a little garlic with the onions in the beginning because it felt weird not to. I did use some tomato paste at the end – maybe a tablespoon. Not sure why it hit the spot so hard but this was very, very yummy!!! Thank you for posting this recipe!

Great recipe. Really hit the spot. I made a double batch to freeze and use for a quick weeknight meal. Next time I might add some carrots to add a little more color and texture, but it’s excellent as is.

Very good! I added spinach and carrots for color and sweetness. I served over pasta.

Another amazing recipe! I used a tablespoon of fresh thyme and 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, also I’m not a fan of large pieces of mushrooms so I chopped them up instead and it came out great!

Wow! I made this for meal prep last night and I am eating it today. It turned out so great! I used tamari in place of the coconut aminos because that’s what I had on hand. I added 1 clove of garlic because I love garlic. I also served it over brown rice instead of potatoes and it paired well together. Will definitely be adding this to my regular rotation!

Oh my! Made this for the first time tonight and when my wife came home from work the delicious smell had her practically floating to the kitchen like a cartoon character. I made it exactly as written did not add the optional tomato paste and it was delicious!

Terrific recipe! I used organic ketchup (just a TBSP) instead of tomato paste (none in the house) with crimini mushrooms. And I used russet potatoes as I didn’t have yellow. I used vegetable broth and added some nutritional yeast to the mashed potatoes. Total yum. Will be making this again. Even my meat-a-tarian spouse asked for this again!

Love this dish! Made it twice. One with coconut aminos, and one with tamari instead. Not sure if that is what made the difference, but the tamari version had a deeper flavor. I also cooked the lentils a little longer as we like them on the softer side. Amazing! Thanks for another great recipe.

Delicious, hearty and comforting.

I made this for Thanksgiving dinner and it was so delicious! Our extended family had turkey and lots of vegan friendly sides, so I had the stew on vegan mashed potatoes and stuffing, with plenty of other veggie sides and the non-vegans admired my plate and told me to take a pic! Loved this and will be making it all winter!

Absolutely delicious!
I added a few tsp of red wine, but stayed rather true to the recipe otherwise, and it was really just SO good! Definitely one to be added to “the rotation”. Thank you!

Oh my this was fantastic! I am a MB fanatic and make your dishes several times a week. My meat loving husband just had two bowls of this tonight and wants the rest for leftovers tomorrow! I followed all the steps, had to sub in shiitakes since that’s what I had (and needed to use up). I did add a few chopped carrots when the mushrooms were added for some more color. Olive oil for all the sauteing, blend of fresh and dried thyme, coco aminos, about 3 cups of homemade veg broth (your receipe of course) and the tomato paste at the end definitely gave it a nice richness. I would probably quadruple the mashed potatoes next time, we like taters! I also soaked my green lentils overnight as suggested. I would like to try this next with black lentils as well. This was such a rich, hearty, healthy and nutritious meal – I would eat this in a restaurant! So satisfying! Thanks MB for sharing your talents with us – your recipes have made me a much more confident and adventurous cook!

This meal is like a big hug and makes excellent leftovers. I used red onion instead of shallots + lemon thyme from the garden. Highly recommend soaking the lentils for digestion! And don’t leave out the tomato paste… I recommend adding before the liquids. Even after soaking I used 3 cups of broth, but I do prefer them slightly mushier. So good!! Thank you!

Delicious! This will be great for a cold winter day! Thank you!

This was absolutely delicious, I substituted shallots for Brown onion, and coconut aminos fir tamari, used dried thyme, and added more lentils and extra stock. It was amazing. The house smelled beautiful while it was cooking, and even my mushroom hating 13yo son and meat loving 15yo son loved it, actually the 15yo had 2 bowls…. Hubby was skeptical but agreed it was yum and said he’d happily eat it again. All up I figured it cost about $10 for enough to feed a hungry family of 4, plus extra, and there was even enough left for our pet chickens to have a treat too (or lunch tomorrow, but the chickens we begging).

Not a vegetarian but this recipe could convince me. This is absolutely delightful and hearty.

So good! I added some sweet potatoes I had left over. I didn’t have that coconut thing so I just added some soy sauce. And I admit I added butter to the potatoes. They were amazing.

This was fabulous. Next time I will try the tomato paste. I added a little ghee to the potatoes, which made them a little sweeter and creamier.

We tried this last night, and it was really satisfying. The stew is very much like a hearty gravy, giving this the feel of comfort food, but knowing it’s pretty healthy. The only issue is that we have much more stew left than potatoes; we’ll use naan or something to make up the difference and add an extra potato or two next time.