This hearty Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew is the perfect easy weeknight dinner that is delicious, super filling as well as gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan!  It’s also ready in under 30 minutes!

Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew | Eat Yourself Skinny

Um so there is a huge snowstorm headed our way.

And I am NOT even upset about it.  I was shocked at how warm it had been during the holidays (I mean we’re talking 70 degrees warm!) so I’m really looking forward to a relaxing snowed-in weekend at home with Oliver and my hubby.  We had a bit of a scare with Ollie two weeks ago – he jumped off the couch and slipped a disc in his little neck and we were extremely worried that he would need surgery.  The poor thing kept yelping in pain constantly and it was literally one of the WORST things to go through with your pet.  As most of you know, he’s not a large dog either – he’s only a three pound yorkie so an injury to his neck really scared me.  Well after three different medications and crating him so that he couldn’t jump on anything or re-injure himself, he really seems back to his old self!  To say I’m relieved would be an understatement.

Anyway back to this stew!  I mean is there really anything better than a big pot of hot stew that has been simmering on the stove all day when it’s THIS cold outside??  No not really.  Plus it makes a ton so I’m left with yummy leftovers which always taste even better the next day!  I just love lentils because not only are they low in calories and high in nutrition, but they just taste so good.  They’re also an awesome source of protein and fiber so I’m all about incorporating them into my diet whenever I can.  I mean I literally keep them on hand in my pantry year round as they’re such a staple in our house.  They absorb any flavor you mix with them too which makes them super versatile!  I’ll throw them into a salad from time to time, but my absolute favorite way of making them is in a soup or stew because of the insane flavor you get!

Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew | Eat Yourself Skinny

This stew really couldn’t be any easier to make either which is just another of the many reasons why I love this recipe so much.  Saute a little onion and garlic in a big pot, throw in the rest of the ingredients and let everything cook – boom!  Easy peasy, hearty and healthy.  Great for meal prepping too since this stew literally tastes better the next day after all the flavors have marinated together over night.

Now my first few times of making this my lentils kept coming out so mushy which was really frustrating.  They still tasted great of course, but I was determined to make a successful batch that didn’t include mushy lentils.  Here’s a little tip that I found which makes perfectly tender (non-mushy!) lentils:  Bring everything to rapid boil in a large pot (except for the salt) then turn the heat down super low so that the stew simmers (to just barely a bubble) without covering.  Allow the lentils to simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes uncovered until they are cooked through, but not falling apart and then take them off of heat and THEN add in your salt.  This helps stop the cooking process and this time they came out perfect!

5 from 6 votes

Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew

This hearty Lentil and Sweet Potato Stew is the perfect easy weeknight dinner that is delicious, super filling as well as gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan!  It’s also ready in under 30 minutes!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups green lentils, rinsed
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Fresh parsley, as garnish
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Instructions 

  • In a large pot on medium high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the rest of your ingredients up to the pepper (we'll add the salt at the end), turn the heat up to high and bring everything to a rapid boil.
  • Once it starts boiling, turn the heat down to a low simmer and cook uncovered for about 20 to 30 minutes, until lentils are cooked through and not falling apart.
  • Remove the stew from heat and stir in the salt. Top with fresh parsley, serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6th of recipe | Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 38.4g | Protein: 11.2g | Fat: 2.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Sodium: 373.1mg | Fiber: 16.6g | Sugar: 3.5g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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As a self-proclaimed foodie and fitness enthusiast, I have a passion for cooking and a huge desire to show that living a healthy lifestyle can actually be easy and fun!  Feel free to use the meal guide above to find your new favorite meal ideas or the dietary guides to the right to narrow things down even more!

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97 Comments

  1. Dimitri says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing this recipe Kelly.

    I wanted to follow the recipe, but I received free veggies from the Shanghai government (we are in lockdown), and didn’t want to waste them.

    I ended up adding celery, radish and carrots. I reduced the liquid to five cups. I did go to town with the spices though!

    It was delish. Thanks again.

  2. Nathalie says:

    5 stars
    Hearty and super easy. Stick with sweet potatoes to make the dish more tasty. If you can stand the carbs have it with a nice piece of crusty bread. It is awesome.

  3. Teresa Bahn says:

    I need cumin and will be making this tomorrow after my market run. It would be helpful to add the end recipe step of removing the bay leaves. There may be people who don’t know these can not be eaten or they could harm the digestive track.

    1. Kelly says:

      Great point! I’ll update that accordingly 🙂

  4. Andrew Bird says:

    I made this stew this morning. I used a Japanese sweet potato. And I made a miso broth (2tsp miso to 1 cup water) instead of a vegetable broth. I didn’t add any salt because the miso is so salty. It is absolutely delicious. It is so easy and fast, and it makes a lot, and it is very filling. It was maybe a bit too salty, so I will cut back on the amount of miso I put in the broth in the future. And I might add a cup of chopped spinach. Overall, a great recipe for people who don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen or need a lot of ingredients on hand. Superb.