Lentil Stew
Updated December 10, 2025
Tom Schierlitz for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell.
- Total Time
- About 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
coarse-chopped slab bacon
olive oil
chopped onion
carrot
celery
lentils
stock
Parsley
Nutritional analysis per serving
10 grams carbs; 10 milligrams cholesterol; 122 calories; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 186 milligrams sodium; 4 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cook coarse-chopped slab bacon in olive oil until done; add chopped onion, carrot and celery, and cook for a few minutes. Add lentils and any stock to cover; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and slowly simmer until lentils are tender. Garnish: Parsley.
Private Notes
Comments
I substituted lots of olive oil for the bacon, problem went away. Loosing the bacon lost some flavor so added reconstituted dry mushrooms and 2 Tbsp good tomato paste to up the umami and everything seems balanced without the bacon fat.
How much is a slab of bacon (a pound? a half pound?)? How many cups of lentils (one? two?)? How many cups of stock per cup of lentils? This is a very Hemingway-esque list of ingredients and directions!
I’m not sure what lentils Mr Bittman uses to get this cooked in 10 minutes, but my French green lentils took more like 40 minutes. In that time a lot of the flavor of the vegetables & meat had faded away, so it then needed more spicing up. In the end I thought it pretty good, but not special. Next time I would probably remove the vegetables & meat from the pot prior to cooking the lentils, then add them near the end. Additions: ham, parsnip, jalapeño, pimenton, & at the end some sriracha.
I was ravenous at lunchtime and not willing to wait, so I started a half-cup of lentils cooking in broth. When they were almost done, I added a half-cup of quinoa, half a small chopped onion and some spices--curry, tumeric, ginger and s/p. Five minutes later, I added a cup of frozen mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, green beans). Total time about 25 minutes, tasty and healthy, and I have some left over for tomorrow's lunch. Might eat it cold with a drizzle of vinegar and olive oil.
I added Trader Joe’s steamed lentils and it turned out fantastic. Their lentils have a little thyme and garlic added which was the perfect add to this recipe. Thanks Mark!
I had an abundance of parsnips and carrots on hand, and was browsing lentil stews. This list of ingredients was my inspiration for a delicious post Christmas hearty French peasant garden stew. I used sausages I had on hand rather than bacon, and frozen turkey stock I had prepared from the Thanksgiving bird. Hearty and delicious!