Nobody at the table needs to know there is no beef in this. What they will notice is the sauce: red wine cooked down until it turns glossy, three kinds of mushrooms browned hard in batches, French green lentils that hold their shape, and toasted walnuts scattered through it for bite. It has the slow, wine-dark character of a proper Burgundian stew, and it gets there without pretending to be something it is not.
It also happens to be quietly impressive on paper: 17 grams of protein and 14 grams of fibre a serving, entirely plant-based, one pot, and better on day two — which makes it the rare dinner-party main you can finish before your guests arrive.
Watch it come together in 60 seconds.
Recipe at a Glance
- Preparation time: 25 minutes
- Cooking time: 55 minutes
- Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Dietary notes: Vegan, dairy-free and easily made gluten-free
Ingredients
For the walnuts and mushrooms
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 340 g cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 225 g portobello mushrooms, cut into large pieces
- 115 g shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the bourguignon
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 medium carrots, cut into thick slices
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 225 g pearl onions, peeled, or frozen pearl onions, thawed
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups dry red wine
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, plus more as required
- 1 cup dried French green or brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
To finish
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter or extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Fresh thyme leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to Make Lentil and Walnut Bourguignon
1. Toast the walnuts
Set the oven to 175°C, or 350°F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for seven to nine minutes, until they smell nutty and have taken on a little colour. Once cool, chop them roughly; big, uneven pieces are what you want, because they are there for texture. Put about a quarter of them aside for the garnish.
2. Brown the mushrooms
Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half the mushrooms in a single layer, season lightly with salt and pepper, and leave them untouched for two to three minutes. Stir, then keep cooking until they are deeply browned. Move them to a plate and repeat with the rest of the mushrooms and a little more oil. Two batches is not fussiness: a crowded pot steams mushrooms instead of browning them, and browning is where the flavour comes from.
3. Cook the vegetables
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the diced onion, carrots, celery and pearl onions to the same pot and cook for eight to ten minutes, stirring now and then, until they soften and start to caramelize at the edges. If the bottom of the pot dries out, loosen it with a small splash of broth. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
4. Caramelize the tomato paste
Stir in the tomato paste and smoked paprika and cook for two minutes, stirring often, until the paste darkens a shade and begins to catch on the bottom of the pot. This cooks off its raw, tinny edge and gives the sauce a deeper base.
5. Add the flour
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir without stopping for one minute. It is what will give the sauce that glossy, lightly thickened body a bourguignon should have. For a gluten-free version, use a one-to-one gluten-free blend here, or leave the flour out and finish with a cornstarch slurry near the end.
6. Deglaze with red wine
Pour in the wine slowly, stirring and scraping up every browned bit stuck to the pot. Bring it to a lively simmer and cook uncovered for six to eight minutes, until it has reduced by roughly a third. Reducing the wine takes the harshness off the alcohol and concentrates what is left.
7. Simmer the lentils
Add the broth, rinsed lentils, tamari, one teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes. Stir from time to time and top up with broth if the lentils drink the liquid too fast. You are looking for lentils that are tender but still whole.
8. Return the mushrooms
When the lentils are almost there, tip the browned mushrooms and any juices from the plate back into the pot, and stir in three-quarters of the toasted walnuts. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes so the sauce reduces and everything settles into one flavour.
9. Finish the sauce
Fish out the thyme stems, rosemary sprig and bay leaves. Stir in the vegan butter or olive oil, the remaining two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar and half the parsley. Taste, and adjust salt, pepper or acid; if it reads flat, a further splash of balsamic will wake it up. Too thick, add broth. Too thin, simmer uncovered a few minutes longer.
10. Rest and serve
Leave the bourguignon to rest for 10 minutes; the sauce will tighten a little more. Spoon it over mashed potatoes, polenta or cauliflower purée, and finish with the reserved walnuts, parsley, thyme and a grind of pepper.
What Wine Should You Use?
Use a dry red you would happily pour into a glass. Pinot Noir is the Burgundy tradition and suits this best, but Merlot, Gamay or a restrained Cabernet Franc all work. Steer clear of sweet "cooking wine", which throws the sauce out of balance. For an alcohol-free version, swap the wine for extra vegetable broth, one cup of unsweetened red grape juice and one tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
Why Add Walnuts?
Walnuts give the stew heft and an irregular, satisfying chew that plays against the softness of the lentils and mushrooms. Toasting them is non-negotiable; it deepens their flavour, improves their crunch and takes away any raw bitterness. Keep them roughly chopped rather than ground, since ground nuts turn the sauce heavy and pasty.
What to Serve with Bourguignon
Creamy mashed potatoes are the classic bed, but garlic mashed cauliflower, soft polenta, buttered egg-free noodles, barley, farro, steamed rice or a piece of crusty sourdough all do the job. Round the plate out with green beans dressed in lemon or a simple bitter-green salad. For the prettiest presentation, spoon mashed potatoes into a shallow bowl, press a well into the centre and ladle the bourguignon into it, then top with walnuts, parsley and thyme.
Helpful Cooking Tips
- Brown the mushrooms in batches.
- Choose French green lentils for the firmest texture.
- Toast the walnuts before they go in.
- Reduce the wine before adding the broth.
- Keep the simmer gentle so the lentils stay whole.
- Add the mushrooms late so they do not go soft.
- Finish with balsamic to balance the richness.
- Make it a day ahead for deeper flavour.
Ingredient Substitutions
Lentils
French green lentils keep their shape best. Brown or black beluga lentils also work. Skip red lentils; they collapse into a purée.
Mushrooms
Use any mix of cremini, portobello, shiitake, oyster, maitake, king oyster, or rehydrated dried porcini.
Nut-free version
Swap the walnuts for roasted chestnuts or more mushrooms, and use toasted pumpkin seeds as a crunchy garnish.
Gluten-free version
Use gluten-free tamari and a gluten-free all-purpose flour, or thicken the finished stew with cornstarch stirred into cold water.
Soy-free version
Replace the tamari with coconut aminos or a little more salt.
Alcohol-free version
In place of the red wine, use 1 cup unsweetened red grape juice, ½ cup vegetable broth and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
Higher-protein variation
Stir in one cup of cooked white beans or cubed smoked tofu for the final 10 minutes.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Make the bourguignon up to two days ahead. Cool it quickly and refrigerate in a covered container. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a little broth when reheating, and hold back the reserved walnuts and fresh parsley until serving so they keep their crunch and colour.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Keep in a clean, covered container and eat within two to three days, in line with Health Canada's guidance on leftovers.
Freezer: Freezes well for up to three months. Leave off the garnish and add freshly toasted walnuts after reheating.
Stovetop: Warm gently over medium-low heat, adding broth as needed.
Microwave: Heat single portions in short bursts, stirring between each, until steaming all the way through.
Approximate Nutrition per Serving
- Calories: 420
- Protein: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fibre: 14 g
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Sodium: 520 mg
These are estimates and will vary with the wine, broth, walnuts and portion size.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is lentil and walnut bourguignon?
A plant-based stew modelled on French beef bourguignon, with lentils, walnuts and mushrooms standing in for the meat and simmered in red wine with vegetables and herbs.
Which lentils are best?
French green lentils, because they stay firm through a long simmer. Brown and black beluga lentils are good alternatives.
Does the alcohol cook out completely?
Most of it, but not necessarily every trace. If you need to avoid alcohol entirely, use the alcohol-free substitution above.
Can I prepare it without walnuts?
Yes. Roasted chestnuts, pumpkin seeds or extra mushrooms all fill the gap.
Why is my bourguignon watery?
Either the wine did not reduce enough or the pot was covered too tightly. Simmer it uncovered until the sauce reaches the thickness you want.
Does it taste better the next day?
It does. A night in the fridge lets the wine, mushrooms, herbs and aromatics knit together.
