This Vegan Lentil Potato Chowder is a healthy comfort food made with every day herbs like sage, rosemary, and thyme, as well as kitchen staples like lentils, potatoes, and onions. It’s simple, hearty, and budget friendly!
Nothing says comfort food like great leftovers, but let’s face it–leftovers just aren’t that appealing all the time. If you’re a creature of habit as I am, you’ll understand the problem of sticking to your daily go-to dishes instead of trying new things. However, when it comes to leftovers, I think we can all agree that they have a bit more appeal when you give them a makeover.
In fact, leftover sides like potatoes, wild rice, green beans, and more can be turned into one-pot wintertime wonders with just a few staple pantry ingredients. Using leftovers in one-pot meals is also a great way to use up the contents of all those lingering containers of side dishes that often get ignored.
Vegan Lentil Potato Chowder
Today I bring you one of my favorite leftover meals, Lentil Potato Chowder which is vegan, oil-free, and gluten-free. Don’t let the healthy attributes of this recipe deceive you because this chowder is delicious and so satisfying! While it contains other ingredients such as green beans and wild rice (two of my absolute favorites), it’s heavier on the lentils and potatoes than the other ingredients, so feel free to sub in other veggies or another grain instead of the wild rice if you prefer.
Carrots, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts would also be excellent in this recipe along with, or in place of, the green beans.
You can also purée this down into a smoother chowder by using an immersion blender if you prefer. I actually like my chowder a bit chunky in texture, but feel free to make yours however you like. Warming Winter Lentil and Potato Chowder can also be cooked in the slow cooker if you wish (see recipe notes for directions).
One last thing I’ll add is that while this chowder may appear frugal and humble, it is packed with nutrition and flavor. It’s a great source of vitamins A, C, and many B vitamins, and it’s an excellent source of fiber, potassium, iron, and protein. Enjoy a bowl of this Vegan Lentil Potato Chowder and watch your worries melt away!
Ingredients
- 1 large Russet potato or sweet potato, washed, peeled and cut into 1” cubes (or 1.5 cups of cooked potatoes if yours are already cooked)*
- ⅓ cup dry brown lentils
- ¼ small yellow onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces (or sub ¼ tsp onion powder)
- ½ cup cooked wild rice (or another grain of choice)
- 1 cup canned cut green beans (I used no salt added) or use leftover cooked green beans
- 1 small stalk of celery, chopped and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Pinch each of thyme, oregano, and rosemary
- 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper
- Optional : pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened, plain non-dairy milk (soy or almond work well)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients into a medium stockpot and cover with just enough water to cover them completely.
- Bring to a boil, cook for 10 minutes with the lid off on high heat, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce to medium-high heat, and cook for 10 more minutes.
- Test the potatoes with a spoon to see if they’re soft.
- Turn the heat off once the potatoes are a soft consistency, and remove the pot from the stove.
- Fish out the bay leaf and discard, serve the soup in two bowls, and top with extra black pepper if desired.
- For a smoother soup, purée this soup down to a creamier consistency with an immersion blender in the pot before serving.
Notes
Home Chef Tips: Feel free to use mashed potatoes you have that you need to use up instead of regular, uncooked potatoes or chopped potatoes. The key here with this tip is to wait until step 3 to add them so they don’t get mushy and too liquidy during cooking. Adding them in the last 10 minutes will work perfectly and prevent you from having mushy soup.
*If you prefer, you may also cook this in a slow cooker instead of the stovetop. Cook the chowder on high with the same ingredients as above and cook for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours.
The possibilities for this chowder are nearly limitless, so don’t be afraid to use whatever your favorite wintertime ingredients are and whatever pantry staples you have on hand in order to make this dish work for you and your family.
We hope you love this Vegan Lentil Potato Chowder recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Heather from The Soulful Spoon, as much as we do. If you like this recipe, be sure to stop by our Dinner section for even more comfort food recipes. For daily dinner inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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