Well, we had snow yesterday evening, so the cozy season is officially here. And means we need vats and vats of soups and stews. That’s why I’m gifting you this Creamy Lentil Stew with Oyster Mushrooms. Not only will it defrost toes and warm your cockles or whatever, but it will also teach you everything you need to know about building soups and stews on your own. I think everyone should be capable of making themselves something warm and slurpable. In my book, it’s a crucial life skill. The fact that I’m Canadian may have everything to do with this belief – our winters are no joke. But everybody gets rain, so everybody needs stew – it’s as simple as that.
To make sure you’re feeling comfy with your stockpot, I made a brand new video walking you through every step of this Creamy Lentil Stew. I’m hoping you’ll spot plenty of opportunities to modify the recipe to suit your tastes, dietary restrictions, and/or the current contents of your fridge. Making stew is a laid-back affair, so don’t get too hung up on specific measurements or even timing. The beauty of stew is that you can pretty much always make it. It’s an odds and ends sort of dish. So if you’re missing a few things just sub something else in or forget about them altogether.
Now, if you’re a soup and stew pro, treat this video as an idea. I love watching and reading recipes because they remind me of flavor combinations that I love but haven’t played with for a while. Or they introduce me to a brand new ingredient that somehow escaped my notice. It happens to me all the time. The food world is so vast, it’s impossible to know every spice, bulb, or condiment. So without further ado, let’s get into this Creamy Lentil Stew with Oyster Mushrooms. It’s a simple cook and a very comforting meal.
Enjoy!
Creamy Lentil Stew with Oyster Mushrooms
Equipment
- A large enamel-coated cast iron pot
Ingredients
- 3 honey garlic sausages** casting removed
- 200g (7oz) oyster mushrooms torn
- 3 shallots halved and sliced
- 1 leek halved and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¾ cups green lentils
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp Herbes de Provence
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Place the sausage meat in a large enamel-coated cast iron pot and place over medium heat. Saute the sausage until the meat is cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the sausage meat with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. If you're not using sausage meat, simply heat a ¼ cup of olive oil until shimmering.
- Add the mushrooms to the pot and let cook undisturbed for a moment or two. Once caramelized, flip the mushrooms and repeat on the opposite side. When the mushrooms have a good amount of color on all sides, remove them from the pot and set aside.
- If the pot is looking a little dry at this point, feel free to add a little olive oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the shallots with a healthy pinch of salt. Saute until softened. Stir in the leeks and, once again, saute until softened. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the lentils to the pot and toss to coat. Deglaze the pot with the white wine and pour in the vegetable stock. Add the bay leaves, herbes de Provence, and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring the mixture up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender.
- While the lentils are cooking, place the spinach in a food processor and blitz until it resembles mulch. With the food processor running, slowly stream in the cream. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and set aside.
- Once the lentils are tender, return the sausage and mushrooms to the pot. Stir in the red wine vinegar and Dijon mustard and add the spinach/cream puree. Bring the stew back up to temperature, then take it off of the heat. Taste and season with salt accordingly. Divide into bowls and finish with an extra splash of cream. Serve immediately.
