Last Updated on September 14, 2024 by Christin Gillespie

Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes is a hearty & healthy recipe. This vegan take on the classic comfort food will satisfy the whole family, especially during the colder months.

Vegan Mushroom Lentil Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe, with a spoon in it. Sitting on a cutting board.

Here it is folks…healthy vegan comfort food at its finest. This lentil mushroom stew is a combination of rich, hearty, and healthy ingredients, making it the best of both worlds. Especially during the cold to the bone winter months.

The stew is a combination of sautéed onion, garlic, seasoned mushrooms, and protein-rich lentils. It’s essentially a dreamy lentil mushroom gravy. However, it wouldn’t be complete without some mashed potatoes or in this case, cauliflower mashed potatoes. Don’t let the cauliflower distract you from enjoying it, as the cauliflower provides the perfect amount of fluffiness to the sweet potato mash. It’s the not so secret ingredient to making the best mashed potatoes. Oh and an added bonus – you can make the cauliflower mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot – directions below!

This Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe is truly remarkable if I do say so myself. The combination of the lentil mushroom gravy and the cauliflower mashed potatoes is so perfect. Enjoy it on special occasions, holidays, or as a cozy weeknight dinner. Essentially, there is no excuse when you can’t enjoy this vegan stew.

Why You’ll Love This Healthy Vegan Stew Recipe

Comfort Food Made Healthy: Featuring cauliflower in the mashed sweet potatoes, as well as the addition of lentils to the stew, results in this recipe to be both hearty & nutritious.
Quick & Easy: This Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe comes together in under 45 minutes.
Perfect for the Holidays: This cozy vegan comfort food is ideal for any special occasion, but can also be enjoyed as a cozy weeknight dinner.

Healthy Vegan Mushroom Lentil Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe, with a spoon in it. Sitting on a cutting board.

Ingredients

Organic Onion: A staple for any recipe in my opinion! I used a medium yellow onion, but use what you have on hand!
Organic Garlic: Make sure to use fresh garlic and not garlic powder. This ingredient is crucial to build flavor.
Organic Button Mushrooms: For the gravy we’ll be adding mushrooms to provide some hearty texture.
Organic Spices: Thyme, sea salt, & black pepper, are used to flavor this dish.
Organic Green Lentils: This recipe calls for green lentils, to add some fiber + plant protein to this vegan stew. Just be sure to rinse them prior to adding them to the pot.
Organic Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth: Any broth truly works and even water, if you’re in a pinch!
Organic Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes: A combination of cauliflower florets and white sweet potatoes are mashed together to be the base of our vegan lentil mushroom gravy.
Tomato Paste & Coconut Aminos: To help thicken, as well as build flavor to this vegan stew recipe.

How To Make

Lentil Mushroom Stew. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add mushrooms, coconut aminos, tomato paste, and seasonings. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed lentils, broth, and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, adding more broth as needed if the mixture looks dry. When lentils are tender, remove from heat to let the flavors deepen.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. Add cauliflower florets and diced sweet potatoes to a large pot and cover with filtered water so they are just submerged. Bring to a boil on high heat and cook for 12 – 15 minutes or until they slide off easily when pierced with a knife. Once tender, drain cauliflower florets and potatoes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and a splash of organic unsweetened non-dairy milk. Mash until tender and fluffy.
Serve. Divide the cauliflower mashed potatoes between serving plates or bowls and top with desired amount of lentil mushroom gravy. Garnish with more thyme, if desired. Enjoy!

Tips for Making this Healthy Vegan Stew Recipe Perfectly

Organic Potatoes: There are many nutrients in the skin of potatoes, so the potatoes don’t have to be peeled before mashing. However, if you want to achieve the look of traditional mashed potato, then peeling the potatoes will provide that.
Organic White Sweet Potato. I used a white sweet potato versus russet potatoes. White sweet potatoes are more nutritious and have a sweet, mildly nutty taste too. If you can get your hands on them, do it!
Organic Cauliflower: Both fresh or frozen cauliflower works perfectly for this recipe.
Organic Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: Any non-dairy milk works in this recipe, but I love organic unsweetend almond milk! Please don’t use vanilla or any “flavored” milk, as the taste will differ. Also, be sure to use trusted brands – I like MALK Organics or Three Trees.
Organic Lentils: If you don’t have green lentils on hand, you can certainly use brown. However, I don’t recommend red lentils for the lentil mushroom gravy.
Use an Instant Pot: If you’ve got one, use it for the cauliflower mashed potatoes! Simply, place cauliflower florets and diced potatoes in the Instant Pot, add ½ cup of filtered water, with some sea salt. Attach the lid, push the PRESSURE button, and manually set the time for 5 minutes. When done, let the steam vent on its own. Stir in the milk, sea salt, and black pepper, and mash until fluffy.

Storing & Reheating

As mentioned above, this Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes recipe is perfect for leftovers & meal prep!

Fridge Storage. Transfer the stew and cauliflower mashed potatoes in separate air-tight glass containers & refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Reheating. To reheat, transfer the stew to a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little extra water or broth as needed, until warm. For the mashed potatoes, transfer to an oven-safe bowl and place in a 350 degrees F heated oven for 10 – 15 minutes, until warmed through.

Vegan comfort food, ff lentil mushroom stew and mashed potatoes a spoon in it. Sitting on a cutting board.

More Vegan Comfort Food Recipes You’ll Love

If you make this recipe, please leave a review & rating below! I love hearing from you and it helps others learn more about the recipe too. Lastly, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, & TikTok for even more deliciousness & wellness tips!

Xoxo.

Christin.

Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

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Author: Christin Gillespie
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30
Total Time: 40
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Lentil Mushroom Stew over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes is a hearty & healthy recipe. This vegan take on the classic comfort food will satisfy the whole family, especially during the colder months.

Ingredients

Scale

Always opt for organic ingredients.

LENTIL MUSHROOM STEW

1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup button mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp coconut aminos
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp fresh thyme (2 tsp dried thyme)
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
1 cup dry green lentils, rinsed
2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable

CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES

2 cups cauliflower florets
1 large white sweet potato
2 – 4 tbsp unsweetened non-dairy milk
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Lentil Mushroom Stew. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and minced garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, until fragrant. Add mushrooms, coconut aminos, tomato paste, and seasonings. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Stir in the rinsed lentils, broth, and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, adding more broth as needed if the mixture looks dry. When lentils are tender, remove from heat to let the flavors deepen.
Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes. Add cauliflower florets and diced sweet potatoes to a large pot and cover with filtered water so they are just submerged. Bring to a boil on high heat and cook for 12 –15 minutes or until they slide off easily when pierced with a knife. Once tender, drain cauliflower florets and potatoes. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Season with sea salt, black pepper, and a splash of organic unsweetened non-dairy milk. Mash until tender and fluffy.
Serve. Divide the cauliflower mashed potatoes between serving plates or bowls and top with desired amount of lentil mushroom gravy. Garnish with more thyme, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Organic Potatoes: There are many nutrients in the skin of potatoes, so the potatoes don’t have to be peeled before mashing. However, if you want to achieve the look of traditional mashed potato, then peeling the potatoes will provide that.

Organic White Sweet Potato. I used a white sweet potato versus russet potatoes. White sweet potatoes are more nutritious and have a sweet, mildly nutty taste too. If you can get your hands on them, do it!

Organic Cauliflower: Both fresh or frozen cauliflower works perfectly for this recipe.

Organic Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk: Any non-dairy milk works in this recipe, but I love organic unsweetend almond milk! Please don’t use vanilla or any “flavored” milk, as the taste will differ. Also, be sure to use trusted brands – I like MALK Organics or Three Trees.

Organic Lentils: If you don’t have green lentils on hand, you can certainly use brown. However, I don’t recommend red lentils for the lentil mushroom gravy.

Use an Instant Pot: If you’ve got one…use it for the cauliflower mashed potatoes! Simply, place cauliflower florets and diced potatoes in the Instant Pot, add ½ cup of filtered water, with some sea salt. Attach the lid, push the PRESSURE button, and manually set the time for 5 minutes. When done, let the steam vent on its own. Stir in the milk, sea salt, and black pepper, and mash until fluffy.

Storing & Reheating: Transfer the stew and cauliflower mashed potatoes in separate air-tight glass containers & refrigerate for up to 4 days. To reheat, transfer the stew to a large pot on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a little extra water or broth as needed, until warm. For the mashed potatoes, transfer to an oven-safe bowl and place in a 350 degrees F heated oven for 10 – 15 minutes, until warmed through.