One-Pot Lentil and Vegetable Stew with Herbs

By AislePrompt Test Kitchen · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-18 · Updated 2026-04-18

A comforting, one-pot stew featuring earthy lentils, seasonal vegetables, and fresh herbs, ready in under 40 minutes. This french-inspired one pot (vegetarian, gluten-free) ready in about 45 minutes pairs olive oil, medium, diced onion, minced garlic for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 280 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium, diced onion
• 2 medium, diced into 1/2-inch pieces carrots
• 2 stalks, diced into 1/2-inch pieces celery
• 3 cloves, minced garlic
• 1 cup, rinsed green lentils
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups, chopped kale
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
2. Step 2: Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in rinsed lentils, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf; bring to a gentle simmer.
3. Step 3: Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and vegetables are cooked through.
4. Step 4: Remove bay leaf, stir in chopped kale, salt, and black pepper; cook for 5 minutes more until kale is wilted and tender.