Learn how to make quick and easy millet and lentil stew for a nourishing blood sugar balancing lunch or dinner. You’ll only need 8-9 ingredients and 20 minutes of your time.
What I love about this recipe:
- Comes together in under 30 minutes.
- Very satiating and comforting.
- Suitable for batch-cooking.
My millet and lentil stew is:
- Plant-based
- Gluten-free
- Low-fat and oil-free
- Soy-free
- Nut-free and peanut-free
- Candida diet friendly and low glycemic
Table of contents
How to Make an Easy Millet and Lentil Stew
The Ingredients
The main components are red lentils and millet. What I especially love about them is that, after soaking, they cook extremely quickly into a creamy and comforting stew.
Next come button mushroom. Did you know that you should eat mushrooms every day? It’s because they have anti-cancer properties, specifically with breast cancer. Furthermore, mushrooms contain aromatase inhibitors which can halt estrogen production. So, I try to squeeze them into at least one meal daily.
Evidently, onion and garlic are included too as I can’t imagine a stew without them.
Besides the healing properties, turmeric brings in a gorgeous golden colour as well.
As for the flavours, I went for quick and tasty options i.e., curry paste and dark miso.
In addition to water, I decided to add a bit of plant milk for extra creaminess.
Next come the greens of this millet and lentil stew – baby spinach. I find that adding baby spinach is an excellent way to get those greens in. It’s because a huge volume of raw spinach ends up being just a tiny bit when cooked into a soup, curry, or a stew.
Optionally, you may also add a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds.
And finally, for some crunch, let’s mix in some raw grated carrot.
As for the toppings, you may go for a few tablespoons of unsweetened plant yogurt and some fresh herbs and/or microgreens.
The Process
Now, the only thing that you need to think ahead is to put the red lentils and millet to soak in the morning or the evening before. However, even a few hours of soaking will do.
First, let’s sauté the mushrooms. Simply fry them dry mixing occasionally. By the way, it will take about 5 minutes, but water starts to separate.
Then, add chopped onion and 2 tablespoons of water. Sautee covered for a few minutes before adding drained and rinsed lentils and millet.
Now, pour in water and some plant milk and add a bay leaf as well. Cook for about 5 minutes until the lentils and millet are soft.
Then, add baby spinach on top, cover for a minute or so and mix the spinach into the stew. You’ll see that it will disappear!
Time to add miso and curry paste that you’ve mixed with some water. Feel free to use tamari or simply some salt instead of miso and curry powder instead of paste.
Some turmeric as well for its awesome healing properties and stunning yellow colour.
I like to stir in raw grated carrot to preserve its crunch. And finally crushed garlic. Also, at the end for the healing allicin that would be destroyed by cooking.
How to Serve This Millet and Lentil Stew
It’s optional, but I like to top it with a few tablespoons of soy yogurt for extra creaminess.
Finally, add some sprouts or greens like parsley, coriander, dill, or onion greens.
You may even squeeze on some fresh lemon juice for vitamin C and better iron absorption. Alternatively, add some red cabbage for extra crunch and vitamin C.
Also, I recommend that you let the stew cool before eating – it brings out the flavours and decreases the glycemic load of grains and legumes as well!
How to Store
In case this millet and lentil stew fills you up before you can finish it or you decide to make a double batch, store it in a sealed jar or a container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Should you be a visual learner, watch how I make this nourishing millet and lentil stew along with four other quick low glycemic lunch options, in the below video!
For more quick and easy low glycemic plant-based lunch recipes, check out:
- Balanced Kale and Pasta Salad
- Millet-Lentil Dal Recipe
- Sweet Potato Lentil Stew
- Gluten-Free Vegan Curry
- Chickpea Curry
- Lentil-Pea-Corn Stew
Download my Guide to Low Glycemic Plant-Based Diet!
What are glycemic index and glycemic load and why those matter.
The list of low, medium and high glycemic foods.
Easy tips on staying on a low glycemic diet.
Learn the secrets of stable blood sugar, weight loss, more energy, and better health
How to Make Millet and Lentil Stew [Video]
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Learn how to make quick and easy millet and lentil stew for a nourishing blood sugar balancing lunch or dinner. You’ll only need 8-9 ingredients and 20 minutes of your time.
Ingredients
- 40g (1.4oz) red lentils
- 40g (1.4oz) millet
- 1 button mushroom
- ½ onion
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 60g baby spinach
- 1 tsp. curry paste
- 1 tsp. dark miso
- 200g (7oz) water
- 40g (1.4oz) plant milk
- 1½ tbsps. ground flax seeds
Optional toppings:
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened plant yogurt
Instructions
- In the morning or the evening before, put the red lentils and millet to soak. Even a few hours of soaking will do.
- First, let’s sauté the mushrooms. Simply fry them dry mixing occasionally. It will take about 5 minutes, but water starts to separate.
- Then, add chopped onion and 2 tablespoons of water. Sauté covered for a few minutes.
- Next, add drained and rinsed lentils and millet. Also, pour in water and some plant milk and add a bay leaf as well. Cook for about 5 minutes until the lentils and millet are soft.
- Then, add baby spinach on top, cover for a minute or so and mix the spinach into the stew.
- Time to add turmeric as well as miso and curry paste that you’ve mixed with some water.
- Finally, stir in raw grated carrot and crushed garlic.
Notes
Feel free to use tamari or simply some salt instead of miso. Also, curry powder is fine instead of curry paste.
Should you have leftovers, store it in a sealed container or a jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
For Plantricious version, use max ½ tsp. of curry paste and max ¾ tsp. of miso. Also, use equal parts of plant milk and water i.e., 120 grams (4.2oz) milk and the same amount of water.
Nutritional info for Plantricious version: 475 kcal, 63g carbohydrates, 8.4g fats, 1g saturated fats, 23g protein, 16.8g fibre, and 473.4mg sodium.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Method: Stovetop
Nutrition
- Serving Size: The whole recipe (without toppings)
- Calories: 439 kcal
- Sodium: 621.5mg
- Fat: 7.8g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 15.9g
- Protein: 21.9g
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