Beef Lentil Stew
Beef Lentil Stew: Rustic, packed with flavor, and so comforting. Our Beef and Lentil Stew is just the dish to fill and warm your belly this season!
Nostalgic Beef Stew
Stews remind me of my childhood… Of coming in from the blustering outdoors with ruby cheeks and a smile.
Stew reminds me of shedding my gloves and scarf at our hall tree, and then eagerly sitting around our family table for a filling meal.
Mom’s Beef Stew
Stew reminds me of my mom, always smiling, and always a wonderful cook; although she still won’t admit to it.
Mom had a way of drawing us into the kitchen.
She would make up funny stories about the origins of our food and allow us to whittle our fruits and veggies into amusing shapes. Even when life was hectic for her, she made our time together light, memorable, and full of teachable moments.
If only I can make such an impact on my babies.
Beef Lentil Stew Recipe
Today’s Beef and Lentil Stew is a true family favorite.
It’s a play-off of my mom’s classic beef stew, substituting brown lentils for potatoes to enhance its nutritional value.
Although I love the classic version and make it regularly, this lentil stew recipe offers an extra level of texture and depth of flavor.
Healthy Lentil Stew Recipe
It’s hearty and filling with a robust beefy flavor.
Yet this lentil stew is lean and packed with nutrients, for those on a clean diet, or who are just generally watching their waistlines.
Although I wouldn’t call this low-carb, it is a very well-balanced meal.
Beef and Lentil Stew is a marvelous meal to warm you up on cool evenings. It’s guilt-free, gluten-free, and fabulous as leftovers.
Beef Lentil Stew Ingredients
- Olive Oil – To saute the onions, garlic, and beef.
- Beef Chuck – A fabulous stew meat for flavor and texture.
- Onion – For depth of flavor.
- Garlic Cloves– For depth of flavor.
- Carrots – To add sweetness and color.
- Celery – To offer texture and herby essence.
- Dried Lentils – Use brown or green lentils, because they hold their shape after cooking.
- Crushed Tomatoes – For tangy flavor and thickening.
- Beef Stock – To intensify the beefy flavor. (You can use vegetable broth if that is what you have on hand)
- Red Wine – To balance the heavy ingredients.
- Bay Leaves – To offer deep herby notes.
- Thyme – You can use a few tablespoons of fresh or dried thyme.
- Cayenne Pepper – For a little kick!
- Tarragon – To offer a fresh pop of sweetness at the end.
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
How To Make Lentil Stew
Instructions…
1. Sauté. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for a few minutes, then add the beef and garlic.
2. Brown. Brown the meat, stirring regularly, until the pieces are caramelized on all sides.
3. Dump. Add the vegetables, carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
4. Simmer. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer, until the lentils are tender. Then stir in the tarragon and taste for salt and pepper.
5. Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Get the Full (Printable) Beef Lentil Stew Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
- For ease, you can use canned lentils! Add them once the beef is tender and simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
- The wine adds a depth of flavor that you will otherwise not get, but you can omit it if you prefer not to cook with alcohol! Replace that liquid with extra broth, instead.
- Add extra veggies like broccoli, mushrooms or leeks!
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! While lentil beef stew doesn’t take that long on the stove top, you can certainly make it in a pressure cooker if you prefer!
Simple sear the beef, sauté the veggies, and then put everything in the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 15 minutes with a natural release!
If you taste the beef stew and the beef is not as tender as you would like, let it cook on low heat a little longer. This will tenderize the beef while it simmers in all of the delicious flavors!
Store any leftover beef and lentil stew in the fridge for up to 3 days! Reheat in the microwave until it is heated through.
More Cozy Fall & Winter Recipes
- Nana’s Epic Navy Bean Soup
- Red Posole with Pork
- Japanese Clear Soup
- 5-Ingredient Cheesy Chicken Chili
- Buffalo Cauliflower Soup Recipe
- Perfect Pumpkin Chili
- Ethiopian Red Lentils (Mesir Wat)
- Everyone’s Favorite Chili
- Irish Corned Beef and Cabbage Stew
- Perfect New England Clam Chowder
- Creamy French Onion Soup
- Homemade Copycat Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread
- Roasted Red Pepper Marinara
Check the printable recipe card below of this soup recipe for the nutritional information including calories, carbohydrates, protein, saturated fat, sodium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin percentages.
Beef Lentil Stew Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 carrots, sliced
- 3 large celery stalks, sliced
- 1 1/2 cup dried lentils, green or brown
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
- 6 cups beef stock
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes, then add the beef and garlic.
- Brown the meat, stirring regularly, for 5-10 minutes. All sides of the beef chunks should be browned.
- Add the carrots, celery, lentils, tomatoes, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper.
- Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer for about 60-75 minutes, until the lentils and beef are tender. Stir in the tarragon. Then taste for salt and pepper.
This recipe is very easy and so delicious! I used 2 lbs. of Venison and 2 cups of dry lentils. I also substituted potatoes (added during the last 30 minutes of cooking) for the tarragon as mentioned in a previous post. Due to the added 1/2 cup of lentils, I had to add more broth (I used Better Than Bouillon). This is SO tasty!!!
This looks delicious. Do you have a pressure cooker version for making this?
Made this stew and shared it with my dorm-mates. They absolutely loved it. This has become a staple in my kitchen repertoire! It’s ridiculously yummy and extremely nutritious.
Can you use red lentils in this recipe instead of green or brown?
Hi Amanda,
Yes, you can. However, red lentils don’t hold their shape quite as well as the brown lentils, so they will likely dissolve and thicken the soup.
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Oh my gosh! This is so good. I love that it’s loaded with fiber too. I don’t typically make stew in the summer but this recipe will definitely make it into my meal planning rotation.
Love this recipe! Cook regularly in cooler months, kids love it 😊 I also add chopped potatoes to make it last longer
Really delicious!
Hi Sommer. This was great! I didn’t add the tarragon because my wife isn’t a fan of it but I added basil, a bit of oregano, and a pinch of fennel. This is really good!! (I’m sure it’s good with tarragon too!!)
Great stew robust taste … totally loved it!
This is absolutely delicious! I accidentally soaked (and unintentionally sprouted) too much green lentils this week so I wanted to use them up. I have already made lentil curry and BBQ lentils so I wanted something less focused on this ingredient.
I used grass fed ground beef I had on hand (from a sale) instead of chuck. I had 2 lbs of meat, not 2.5, so I used all of my lentils (4 cups soaked which is probably 2 cups dry) I omitted the tarragon and added 2 medium russet potatoes I needed to use up. I also added a 1 pound box of rotini pasta to make it hearty for my husband and dad. I would probably use only half a box next time but it still came out so delicious! The little chunks of beef were dispersed evenly. I wasn’t overwhelmed by the lentils which were the star of my other 2 dishes. I was on the fence about opening a new bottle of red wine for this dish but there is such a depth of flavor that comes with it. I had to add extra beef broth (which was a Better Than Boullion roasted beef base diluted in hot water) to keep it a bit soupy. Thank you. I will definitely be using this recipe again in the future!
I love that this was a spin-off of your mother’s recipe, a delicious generational heart connection! How yummy as written and good for leftovers!
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I made this last night and it was my first time cooking with wine so I was very excited. It’s so good! I brought the leftovers to work today for lunch and all my coworkers kept commenting on how good it smells.
Hi there! Can you please state the approximate calorie count of this beautiful recipe?
Hi Tasnuva,
Yes, it is located at the bottom of the recipe form. :)
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I made this stew over the weekend and my husband said, “this is my favorite dish!” I live on the coast in Ca. and I have been waiting for the weather to change to start making things for dinner (other than salad and BBQ). Plenty of leftovers and every day it gets better. SO delicious, thank you!