Chanterelle mushroom stew is one of my all-time favorite fall and winter dinners. This vegetarian stew has deep, rich and delicious flavor from caramelized onions and a variety of chanterelle and wild mushrooms and is guaranteed to satisfy.
Serve this up with one of the top 100+ best recipes to pair with stew.
Love everything mushroom? You will love my creamy Chanterelle Mushroom Soup, Cauliflower Mushroom Gratin, and Chanterelle Risotto. I also put together 60+ Best Vegan Mushroom Recipes and love a good side of Fried Oyster Mushrooms with almost any meal or just some toast.
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The Best Things About This Recipe
If you've been following me for awhile now, you know how much I love foraging for and eating wild mushrooms. Possibly my favourite food item ever. And after a day of mushroom picking, there is nothing better than a bowl of chanterelle mushroom stew. I sauté and freeze extra mushrooms all season and then it is easy to make this recipe all through the fall, winter and spring.
I paired up this stew with lentils to make it a rich and hearty dish with a lovely earthy flavor. Lentils are full of protein and more importantly for vegetarians, iron. The green lentils I used for this recipe have 12 grams of protein, 25% of your daily recommended intake of iron and 5 grams of fiber per ¼ cup!!! Definitely a nutrition powerhouse. Adding the optional peas adds even more protein to each serving.
Other vegetarian high protein recipes I love are Vegan Italian White Beans, Apple Walnut Salad and my really flavorful Rocket and Pear Salad. For a really unique vegetarian stew, try this Antiguan Chop Up. Traditionally served at breakfast there but for many of us in North America, we might prefer this veggie stew at lunch or dinner.
Wholesome + Simple Ingredients
This recipe only has a few ingredients but these are nutritious whole foods with a satisfying umami richness. There are a few optional ingredients depending on your dietary restrictions or what you have in your fridge.
This stew uses classic stew ingredients. Cloves of garlic, yellow onion, sprigs of rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Other fresh herbs like parsley, sage and savory are welcome here too, if you happen to have them on hand. Lentils add more body, fresh tomato and red or white wine vinegar adds acidity while seasoning salt and mushroom or vegetable stock further rounds out the flavors. If you don't have seasoning salt, you can sub plain kosher salt.
I think the little things like freshly ground black peppercorns and something fresh and green like parsley or peas make a big difference in making this stew extra special.
Mildly sweet, earthy flavored tender chanterelles is what I've based this recipe on but it really works good with almost any mushrooms you like. I've made this with porcini mushrooms, wild lobster mushrooms, and brown mushrooms (cremini) with excellent results. I've even been known to make it with a mixture of wild and white button mushrooms in a pinch.
How To Make Chanterelle Stew Easily
- Pre cook your lentils. To cut your cooking time, the lentils can be cooked up to 3 days ahead and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. These get added in to the stew at the end so that they keep a nice texture.
- Next gather a large, heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. I love to use my big enamel cast iron pot. Heat the oil on medium heat and sauté onions until they are nicely caramelized. Stir frequently or turn the heat lower so they don't burn while caramelizing. Add a tablespoon or two, of water if the pan gets too dry while cooking the onions down.
- Add remaining oil and let the garlic and fresh chanterelle mushrooms cook until softened.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir through. Add stock and stir or whisk vigorously to incorporate flour through the stock. Stir well and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. The caramelized sugars add lots of delicious flavor.
- Add tomatoes, herbs and carrots, turnips, wine and Worcestershire if using. Simmer on medium, stirring often for about 30 min. or until carrots and turnips are cooked through if using. If you want to be more hands off, you can turn the heat to low and let it cook longer without needing to stir it as frequently.
- Stir in cooked lentils and heat through. Add green garnishes (frozen peas, fresh parsley or chopped kale). Let heat for 1 minute, then turn off heat letting the residual heat finish cooking them lightly.
- Serve in a bowl with your favourite side of mashed potatoes, yams, polenta or risotto.
Storage + Make Ahead Instructions
This keeps well and can be made 2-3 days ahead. Leftovers make a great lunch for school or work. Lentils are very high in iron and protein making them a great choice for vegetarians.
Tips For Families Who Don't All Like Mushrooms
Although I love mushrooms, if your children don't (I have 2 mushroom loving and 2 mushroom hating), load up the other veggies and go light on the mushrooms for a high fiber, high vitamin and low fat, satisfying dinner.
My mom used to grate mushrooms with a cheese grater to "hide" them in cooked recipes and I've done this myself when I really want that mushroom flavor without the picky eaters complaining.
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Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina
📖 Recipe
Wild Chanterelle Mushroom Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c Yellow Onion, sliced about one large onion
- 1 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
- 4 tablespoon Olive Oil, divided in half
- 1 ½-2 lb Chanterelle Mushrooms, sliced or a mixture of your favorite mushrooms (lobster, oyster, porcini, shiitake and white or whatever combination you have on hand.)
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 4 c Vegetable Stock
- 1 c Tomatoes, chopped Use fresh tomatoes or substitute 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
- 1 Thyme Sprig or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 Rosemary Sprig or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon *Optional* Worcestershire Sauce *do not use if you are strictly vegan*
- 1 c *Optional* Each, Carrot and Turnip, chopped ½ inch
- 3 c Cooked Lentils, green or brown 1 cup dry lentils, cooked according to package directions.
- 1 c Parsley, peas or kale to garnish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a wide bottomed, large heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoon oil on medium. Add onions and seasoning salt and saute, stirring often until they are caramelized. (Add a tablespoon of water or 2 to help them cook down if they are drying too much before browning)
- Once nice and brown, push to the side, add remaining oil, garlic and mushrooms, sauteing until cooked.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir through. Add stock and stir or whisk vigorously to incorporate flour through the stock.Add tomatoes, herbs and carrots, turnips, wine and Worcestershire if using. Simmer on medium, stirring often for about 30 min. or until carrots and turnips are cooked through if using.
- Stir in cooked lentils and heat through. Add green garnishes (peas, parsley or kale). Let heat for 1 minute, then turn off heat letting the residual heat finish cooking them lightly.
- Serve in a bowl with your favourite side of mashed potatoes, yams, polenta or risotto.
Elaine
Delicious! It's meaty without the meat, thanks to those mushrooms. Lots of flavour from the tomatoes and herbs, too! Great served with cauliflower mash instead of potatoes for a change.
SabCurrie
Thanks Elaine and yes to the cauliflower mash! We’ve tried celery root purée too. Thanks for weighing in 🙂
Vanessa
This looks like a delicious recipe for a mushroom lover like me!
SabCurrie
Thanks Vanessa, it’s definitely one for mushroom lovers! Thanks for reading 🙂
Aimee
So yum! I used dried lentils and added them after tomatoes then veges 15 mins later. Served with Cauliflower mash 🙂
Thankyou for beautiful recipe
Sabrina Currie
That’s awesome Aimee! This is one of my families favourite meatless meals 🙂
Colleen
I love any & all mushrooms, and this stew looks so delicious, satisfying & comforting. I can't wait to give it a try. Thanks for the lovely recipe.
SabCurrie
Thanks so much Colleen 🙂 Rnjoy!
Bernice M Hill
Vegan comfort food at it's finest...wow. I could really dig into a bowl of this.
SabCurrie
Thanks so much Bernice! A good hearty dish for these cold months 🙂
Belinda
This is delicious! All 5 of my family devoured it, it’s a keeper!!
SabCurrie
Thanks Belinda, I’m so glad 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I would have loved this for dinner tonight! We eat a lot of warm and cozy stews, and I'm trying to incorporate as many lentils into our diet as I can these days. Pinning and trying soon!
SabCurrie
Great idea Katherine, lentils are such a nutritional powerhouse. Great to add to any veggie dish 🙂
Cathy
What a beautiful, healthful stew! I love the flavours of wild mushrooms and caramelized onions in here!
SabCurrie
Thank you Cathy 🙂 I strive to make veggie dishes that are every bit as rich and satisfying as meat ones. Enjoy!
Trish
Oh, this looks so rich and savory. Definitely for Sunday dinner.
SabCurrie
Thank you so much for your kind words. Cheers Trish!
Terri
Please take me mushroom foraging! I adore mushrooms and that photo is amazing. The stew looks spectacular too!
SabCurrie
I’m always looking for mushroom picking buddies! Come on out! And thank you for your kind words 🙂
Yvonne Langen
Hearty, healthy and wholesome - this stew is just the ticket to get through the coldest winter nights. Easy and delicious!
SabCurrie
Thanks Yvonne! I totally agree, and such a healthy alternative to a meat stew. Enjoy!
Matt - Total Feasts
This looks so delicious and hearty, looks perfect for this cold weather!
SabCurrie
Thank you Matt! Gotta love a good stew in these cold months!
Jenny Bowden
Please would you able to translate the cups to weights in grams /ml for us Brits!?
Thank you
Jenny
David Raasch
Fantastic recipe! I just wish I had some nutritional information on it. No big deal, though. But it really had a fantastic taste!
Sabrina Currie
Thanks David! I’ve been thinking of adding nutritional info, hopefully that will come in the next year. Thanks for the feedback, cheers!