The creaminess here comes from pureeing half the mushrooms with plant-based milk right in the pot. No cream, no fuss, just a deeply savory and luscious stew with French green lentils, thyme, white wine, and kale. Hearty enough for a main course, elegant enough for company.
Prep time: PT20M
Cook time: PT30M
Total time: PT50M
Rating
4.96 stars (82 reviews)
Keywords
creamy french lentil stew, creamy french lentils with mushrooms and kale
Ingredients
¾ cup French green lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium shallot, fine dice (roughly ⅓ cup diced shallot)
1 lb (454 grams) mixed mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, minced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 teaspoons gluten-free tamari soy sauce
1 ½ cups vegetable stock
⅓ cup unsweetened plant-based creamer or rich milk (such as soy or cashew)
3-4 kale stalks, stems removed and leaves sliced (1 ½ packed cups of sliced kale)
fresh bread or toasts, for serving
Categories
Main Course
Soup
Steps
Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the lentils to the water along with a fat pinch of salt. Simmer the lentils until they’re just-tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a braiser or medium soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pot and stir. Cook the shallots until slightly softened and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pot and let them sit for a full minute. Stir the mushrooms up and season with pepper. Let the mushrooms sit in the pot for another full minute.
Stir the mushrooms until they start glistening slightly. Season the mushrooms liberally with salt. Add the garlic and thyme to the pot and stir. Once the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds, add the white wine and tamari to the pot. Stir the mushrooms. Add the drained lentils, vegetable stock and plant milk to the pot. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
Ladle half of the mushroom mixture into your blender pitcher, ensuring that you include enough of the liquid. Blend on high until completely smooth. Scrape the creamy blended mushroom mixture back into the pot. Add the sliced kale and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and check it for seasoning. The texture should be like a thick and creamy stew and the kale should be slightly wilted.
Serve the creamy French lentils hot with toasts or other accompaniments of your choosing.
Reviews
Linda on 2026-04-29 (2 stars): The method doesn't state when to add the raw chopped kale to the mix, it only mentions the kale should be tender right at the end.
Kelli on 2025-10-28 (5 stars): I would LOVE to know the nutritional value of this soup. My sister made it, and I tried it. I do believe that this is my new favorite. I love soup! This is going to be a staple.
Rita on 2025-10-27 (5 stars): I made this for my 92-year-old aunt. She doesn’t have a blender, so I doubled the lentils for thickness. It was absolutely delicious! This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thanks for sharing it!
Mekomeko on 2025-10-11 (5 stars): Made this last night and doubled it up hoping to freeze some for later. I'm not sure we ll have enough left to freeze its so tasty. Not my usual flavour / type of cuisine but I wanted to see if I like green lentils and for this recipe alone i will use them in regular rotation for winter. It's so comforting with a slice of sourdough as a perfect addition.
Jamie on 2025-09-03 (5 stars): I can't wait to make this soon! Do you think I could use coconut milk instead of what is listed in the recipe? Also, would making this without soy sauce make a huge difference in flavor? if so, any other alternatives you recommend?
Micha on 2025-07-28 (5 stars): I just catered my sister's wedding and am so grateful to have found this recipe. I followed the recipe scaled up and the only change is, I substituted spinach for kale and I drizzled a little bit of truffle oil at the end (for a little wedding decadence) and honestly if didn't even need truffle oil. It was a wedding for 125 people--8 of whom were vegan and it was a hit for all! I only wish I had made more... I can't thank you enough. The aroma in the kitchen was divine and people of all types genuinely expressed how good it tasted. It was a win.
Jason on 2025-03-28 (5 stars): I just finished my first bowl of this and cannot get over how delicious it is. I used Alessi brand white balsamic vinegar and it worked beautifully as a substitute for the the white wine.
Thank you for gifting us with such delicious and healthy food! :)
Christi on 2024-11-27 (5 stars): Very glad to have discovered you! This is a fantastic recipe full of flavour, colour and texture. I will certainly check out your other recipes!
tami on 2024-11-20 (5 stars): Thank you!!!!!
tami on 2024-11-17 (5 stars): hello! this is a household favorite. i've been making it for years! crazy question - what kind of bread is pictured? thank you!!!
peace,
tami
Natalie on 2024-11-12 (5 stars): Could you reduce it down and have it as a filling for a filo pastry pie?
Jolanda Cook on 2024-07-07 (5 stars): .My doctor recently suggested I try a vegan diet. 1 week in, tired of salads and smoothies. Googled recipes for "mushrooms and lentils" and found this. Very delicious. I opted to not puree the soup as I like textures. Mushrooms were meaty, good umami flavor, seasoning spot on. Will definitely make this again.
Aa on 2024-05-31 (5 stars): This soup has been a regular at our house- it’s SO good and the only way I’ll eat mushrooms
