- 3/4 cup French green lentils, rinsed
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste
To cook the lentils, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils to the water along with the salt and bring to a simmer.
Cook the lentils for 20 minutes or so, or until they are just tender. Drain and set aside.
- 1 tbsp olive oil (omit for oil-free)
- 1 medium shallot, fine dice (roughly 1/3 cup diced shallot)
- 1 lb (454 grams) cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
- 1 to 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp white wine
- 1 tbsp gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups stock
- 1/3 cup Cashew Cream
- 1/2 bunch (1 1/2 cups packed) kale stalks, stems removed and leaves sliced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
To prepare the stew, in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. For no-oil, use a bit of stock instead. Next, add the shallots to the pot and cook them for a few minutes, or until they have just begun to soften and become translucent.
Next, add the mushrooms and let them cook, undisturbed for a minute or so before stirring them. Next season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and them sauté for another minute or two, or until they start to release their juices and become somewhat golden brown.
Once the mushrooms are ready, add the garlic, thyme, and Dijon mustard and let cook for about 30 seconds or so. Depending on the strength of your Dijon and how much you like it, you may want to start with the lesser amount as you can always add more later.
Next, deglaze the pot with and the white wine and tamari (white wine vinegar or stock can be used here instead) and then add the stock and bring to a gentle boil. For the stock, we used this Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder; however, this Mushroom Stock is also excellent with this dish.
Next, add the Cashew Cream, followed by the lentils and kale. Let the stew cook for a few 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale just starts to wilt. You want the kale to be soft and tender but still maintain it’s bright green color.
Lastly, check for seasoning, add more salt, pepper, Dijon as desired.