Stroganoff is classic comfort food…and this version contains the goodness of cremini mushrooms, green lentils, and TVP’s protein punch. With just a 15 minute cook time, it’s a quick and nutritious meal!
I have to admit that I’m not as comfortable with cooking lentils as with cooking beans; I frequently cook beans – several different types – and lentils just don’t cross my mind as often as beans do. With a bag of lentils sitting in the pantry, it was high time I made them into something tasty…and I did.
The recipe is pretty simple: brown the chopped onions and sliced mushrooms, deglaze with red wine, then add everything else and cook on the Multigrain setting. I also added 1 tsp of diced garlic (because I like garlic) while doing the initial browning and also added 1/2 cup dry TVP to the remaining ingredients prior to cooking. I also added thick homemade milk kefir (made with half and half and with the whey poured off) instead of sour cream and it worked perfectly.
The finished product is thick and hearty. The lentils meld so seamlessly with the other ingredients that you almost forget they’re in there. Though I used organic beef broth, this could easily be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth or even just water and still have plenty of umami, thanks to the mushrooms.
This is not a low carb dish, but it’s full of whole grains (especially if you serve it over quinoa, like I did), and could easily accommodate other vegetables like peas. It’s a great way to incorporate lentils into a diverse diet!