What other spices can be substituted for whole coriander seeds?

If you do not have whole coriander seeds, you can replace them with fennel, cumin, or caraway seeds. The flavor will be slightly different with each substitution.

What goes with carrot and lentil stew?

You can serve this dish with rice, quinoa, or a grain of your choice. Bread or flatbread for scooping up lentils is a delicious accompaniment. This dish goes well with a simple green or cucumber salad.

Do lentils need to be soaked?

Lentils do not require soaking like beans. You only need to rinse them to remove any dust or debris.

weeknight carrot and lentil stew (plant-based & oil-free)

weeknight carrot and lentil stew

Carrot and lentil stew with onions and fresh mint.

Print Recipe

Weeknight carrot and lentil stew brims with a simple sauce, coriander seeds, and fresh mint for a satisfying winner of a quick plant-based meal.

Author: Denise
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: stews
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds
1 medium onion, halved, then sliced thin
4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
4 cups of carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 1/2 pound)
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. date paste (or another liquid sweetener)
1 cup of dry green lentils, rinsed
3 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 a cup of fresh mint leaves, chopped or torn

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Instructions

Break the coriander seeds using the handle of a knife, a mortar, and pestle, or by spice grinder. Break the seeds into pieces. Don't pulverize them into powder.
Pre-heat a medium pot over medium heat. Then add the onions and coriander seeds. Sauté the onions for 5 minutes until they soften and become translucent.
Stir in the carrots and garlic. Cook the carrots for 3 minutes. If the onions begin to stick, add water or broth a tablespoon at-a-time.
Make a space in the bottom of the pot and add the tomato paste and date paste and mix the two. Stir the mixture into the rest of the ingredients.
Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Bring the ingredients to a low boil, then decrease the heat until the ingredients are slowly simmering. You can cover or leave the pot uncovered and continue cooking until the lentils are tender and the broth is absorbed.
Once the lentils are done, remove the pot from the heat, then mix in half the mint. Use the remaining mint to garnish individual servings.
You can serve this with rice, quinoa, bulgur, or another grain of choice.

Notes

It is best to use green or brown lentils for this recipe. Red lentils will break down so that the texture more like creamed carrots.
Coriander seeds have an entirely different flavor than fresh cilantro or coriander. If you want to substitute for coriander seeds, use 1 teaspoon of ground coriander. You will miss out on the crunch of the broken seeds, but this will retain most of the intended flavor.
This dish will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it.

Keywords: carrot and lentil stew

Find it online: https://veganwithgusto.com/carrot-and-lentil-stew/