Vegetarian Mushroom Stew has red bell pepper, onion, paprika, and sour cream, and it’s delicious plain or over Cauliflower Rice! And this mushroom stew is a super easy recipe that’s relatively low in carbs and gluten-free.

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Vegetarian Mushroom Stew will be a hit with everyone who likes red bell pepper, onion, paprika, and sour cream. And I know low-carb eating can be challenging for vegetarians, so I’m feeling especially happy to share this vegetarian stew that’s relatively low in carbs.

Maybe I shouldn’t be calling the recipe mushroom stew, because actually all the veggies are cooked separately in a large deep frying pan at high heat, and then some paprika and sour cream is stirred in at the end and just barely warmed through. But the finished dish feels like a stew to me, so that’s the name I’m going with.

This mushroom stew would be delicious served over Cauliflower Rice for a more substantial meal. If you’re doing that I might cut the veggies a bit smaller. And I wouldn’t mind more sour cream added at the table, but no matter how you eat it, this is so tasty!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

• onion
• red bell pepper
• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• mushrooms, preferably brown Cremini mushrooms
• paprika, preferably Szeged Hungarian Paprika (affiliate link)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• sour cream

What mushrooms did we use for this vegetarian stew?

I made this recipe with brown Cremini mushrooms from Costco, but any mushrooms you like will be fine. And if you want to buy more than one kind of mushrooms, that will only make it better.

Can you add other vegetables to the Mushroom Stew?

You can definitely add other vegetables to the stew but they will need to be cooked separately to accommodate the different cooking times (and some vegetables with make it higher in carbs.) Longer cooking vegetables like turnips, sweet potatoes, or carrots will need more cooking time than the vegetables I used. You can also use vegetables like zucchini or cauliflower, which will probably cook about as quickly as the mushrooms. I think kale would also be delicious added to this.

How low in carbs is the mushroom stew?

The vegetarian mushroom stew has only 10 net carbs per serving with 4 grams of protein.

Is this meatless mushroom stew gluten-free?

This recipe doesn’t use any thickening or packaged broth so the recipe is naturally gluten-free.

How to Make Vegetarian Mushroom Stew:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. Cut red bell pepper and the onion into short strips or slivers.
2. Heat oil and cook onions about 5 minutes, until they start to brown. Remove onions to a bowl.
3. Add a little more oil and cook tbell pepper about 5 minutes, until a few edges are starting to char. Remove red peppers to the bowl with the onions. (If your pan is big enough you can probably cook the onions and mushrooms together.)
4. While the onions and peppers are cooking, wash mushrooms if needed, dry, and cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick.
5. Put a little more oil in the pan and cook mushrooms until they’re well browned. Remove mushrooms to a separate bowl.
6. I would always use Szeged Hungarian Paprika (affiliate link) for a dish like this.
7. Put the onions and peppers back into the pan, sprinkle over the paprika and cook a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Add the mushrooms back to the pan and heat until any accumulated juice has evaporated, then reduce heat to very low and stir in the sour cream.
9. Heat the Vegetarian Mushroom Stew just until it is warmed through (do not boil) and serve immediately.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This mushroom stew would taste great served over Easy Cauliflower Rice or Pureed Cauliflower with Garlic, Parmesan, and Goat Cheese. If you want a separate side dish I’d love it with Lemon Green Beans, Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan and Pine Nuts, or Stir-Fried Spinach with Garlic and Parmesan.

Want more ideas using mushrooms?

Check out Mushroom Recipes to see all the tasty recipes on my site for mushroom fans!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Vegetarian Mushroom Stew is loaded with healthy low-carb vegetables, and would be approved for low-carb diet plans, but it’s probably too high in carbs for Keto. This would work for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, and South Beach would recommend low-fat sour cream.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stew Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
The recipe for a meatless mushroom stew was posted in 2012. It was last updated with more information in 2026.

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This flavorful Lentil Spinach Soup is an easy to make meatless soup recipe with lentils, spinach, tomatoes, cumin, and other spices! And this tasty soup recipe is also gluten-free, for people who care about that!

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This perfect easy recipe for Lentil Spinach Soup is a tasty vegetarian soup made mostly from simple pantry ingredients. But it’s loaded with flavor due to the cumin seeds, ground coriander, onions, garlic, and paprika. And of course I love both lentils and spinach, so it’s not surprising that I’d love this simple soup.

I added flavor by using vegetable stock in place of water, and the soup has a strong cumin flavor, which I loved. And this Lentil Spinach Soup was also the perfect way to use up the last bit of one of those huge tubs of spinach from Costco.

If you like lentils and spinach I hope you’ll give this healthy lentil soup a try; this tasty soup can be on your dinner table in under 90 minutes!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

What adds extra flavor to the Lentil Spinach Soup?

Using whole cumin seeds (affiliate link) and sizzling them in the hot oil adds a lot of flavor to this soup. However, if you only have ground cumin, don’t let that stop you from making the recipe. There’s also a lot of flavor from the onions, garlic, ground coriander, and paprika that are cooked together before you add the lentils and vegetable broth.

Why do some Lentils take longer to cook?

Lentils that are fresh will cook more quickly than those that have been sitting on the shelf in the store or in your pantry.

Can you use other colors of lentils for Lentil Spinach Soup?

Lentils can be used quite interchangeably in recipes. But if you use red lentils for this soup, they’ll soften much more quickly than the brown lentils the recipe calls for and maybe even dissolve into the broth. You might enjoy using a combination of brown and red lentils if you have both types on hand!

What other greens can you use for a vegetarian soup with lentils?

I love this soup with spinach but if you prefer a more assertive type of greens I think kale or swiss chard would also be delicious here. Other greens will take a bit longer to cook.

Is the Lentil Spinach Soup low in carbs?

This soup has 19 net carbs per servings, with 8 grams of protein. That is probably high in carbs for strict low-carb diet plans, but it can work for people following a carb-conscious diet that permits a few more carbs.

How to Make the Vegetarian Lentil Spinach Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. In a large pan that will hold all the ingredients, heat olive oil over medium heat and sizzle the cumin seeds until they’re fragrant and starting to pop. Be sure to stir them several times. (If you’re a cumin fan like I am, you might use a little more cumin.)
2. Then add onion, minced garlic, ground coriander, and black pepper and cook until the onions are softened and starting to brown. Add paprika and cook about 1 minute more.
3. Measure 1 1/2 cups of brown lentils.
4. Add lentils and vegetable broth, bring to a slight boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 30-40 minutes or until the lentils are quite tender.
5. This photo shows how the soup looked once the lentils were done.
6. While the lentils cook, wash the spinach if needed and finely chop.
7. Add the can of tomatoes and chopped spinach to the soup (and more vegetable stock if needed) and cook about 30 more minutes, or until the spinach is done and the flavors have blended.
8. Serve the Lentil Spinach Soup hot and enjoy!

Make it a Vegetarian Meal:

This meatless soup with spinach and lentils would be delicious with Savory Almond Flour Bread or Olive Bread!

More Vegetarian Soup Recipes:

Weekend Food Prep:

This lentil spinach soup recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Lentil Spinach Soup is a perfect dish for any phase of the original South Beach Diet, but remember that dried beans and lentils are a limited food for South Beach Phase One. The soup has 19 net carbs per serving, which might work for some carb-conscious eaters but not for strict low-carb or Keto diets.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Vegetarian Lentil Soup with Spinach and the perfect spices was first posted in 2008. The recipe was updated with better photos and instructions in 2014, and last updated with more information in 2026.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Made with nutritious beets, cabbage and root vegetables, my Ukrainian borscht soup recipe (also known as borsh, borsht, or борщ) is perfect as a dinner meal or hot lunch. Serve with a dollop with sour cream, dairy-free alternative or without. This is gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and Whole30-friendly.

What Is Borscht?

If I had to name one dish that best represents Ukrainian cuisine it would have to be borscht.

It’s a hearty, hot soup made with beetroot, which gives it a gorgeous burgundy red colour and sweetness. This tasty soup can be made any time of the year but it’s particularly good in autumn and winter when all of the ingredients are in peak season. 

Borscht is also eaten in many other parts of eastern Europe and there are many cultural variations.

What Are The Main Borscht Ingredients?

In its whole form, borscht is a vegetable soup as it features cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes and beets. But, if you had to pick the key ingredient for borscht, it’s beets. Don’t have beetroot? Can’t make borscht! They are what gives borscht its beautiful colour and sweet flavour.

Depending on location, borscht recipes include a variety of other vegetables, spices and condiments served at the table. My recipe is based on the flavours and textures I remember from my childhood when I ate borscht a couple of times a week. I talk about a few borscht variations below.

Love beets? Check out more recipes using this nutritious veggie here.

Borscht Soup Nutrition

This Ukrainian borscht recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly so I am only using vegetables and veggie stock. Many traditional recipes also used beef stock or broth and some tender braised beef pieces and bones. As you can imagine, even the simple vegetarian borscht version is super nutritious with lots of vitamins and fibre.

As a veggie soup, this version is lacking in Vitamins D and B12. Add mushrooms or/and red meat for vitamin D; B12 can be added with red meat or other meat or you can serve some nutritional yeast as a sprinkle on top. These are just small nutritional boosts, of course, and won’t fill in the gap completely. 

For extra protein, you can add whatever fits your diet: meat or chicken, beans or legumes etc.

If you can tolerate a little dairy, a dollop of sour cream on top is very traditional (and tasty) but you can easily go without or even try a little coconut cream or coconut yoghurt instead. You can find all my vegetarian recipes here.

How To Make Borscht Soup

Borscht is easily made on the stove but can also be cooked in a crockpot slow cooker or the Instant Pot. 

Start by preparing all of the vegetables as this is what makes the most effort. You can use a food processor to help you grate and chop all of the veggies. I like to start cooking simultaneously as the veggies don’t all go in at the same time. 

Prepare onions, garlic, beets, celery and carrots first and cabbage and potatoes last. The idea is to saute all the veggies first, then add the seasoning, spices, tomato paste and vinegar (essential as borscht needs some acidity) and stock. Once all ingredients are in, bring everything to a boil and then simmer gently for half an hour until potatoes are soft.

Important: take the soup off the heat and then add the fresh dill, cover with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes to set.

Note, the soup’s flavours will develop even further the next day so make sure to leave some leftovers.

Can I Use Pickled Beets ?

Actually, yes! Some traditional Ukrainian recipes call for pickled beets rather than fresh (also because you couldn’t always get fresh vegetables). If you’re using pickled beets, make sure to omit the vinegar as they will add the tang that is essential in this soup. I like using raw beets as they are more nutritious in my opinion.

Can I Freeze Borscht?

Yes, this soup is great for freezing and should last for up to 3 months. As it’s vegetarian and vegan borscht, it will also keep well in the fridge (for up to 5-6 days). Reheat well before serving.

Borscht Variations

Ah! There are hundreds of variations of this delicious beet soup. Every household has its family recipe that gets passed down through generations. Some differences are based on location and you will find some differences in Russian borscht, Polish borscht and the Ukrainian classic. Here are some famous versions:

Ukrainian borscht is often made with green peppers and white beans. Adding peppers and/or beans to borscht is quite common and makes for a heartier meal. Many people will also add beef or cook the stock with meat bones. Mushrooms are also often added to the Ukrainian borscht. While the Russian borscht is usually beets, cabbage and potatoes (and some carrots).

Pureed borscht is another way you can serve this gorgeous soup. Simply add all ingredients to a blender and whiz it all up. This version can also be served cold in summer. 

Polish borscht (barszcz) is made with beets, carrots, garlic and onion but might not have cabbage and potatoes. Again, this will vary from family to family.

More Ukrainian Recipes

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