Jamaican Brown Stew Lentils

Name: Jamaican Brown Stew Lentils
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 Cup Dry Green Lentils (measured dry); 5 Tablespoons Coconut Aminos (can sub 4-5 tbs soy sauce); 1 Roma Tomato; 1 Onion; 2 Scallion; 3 Thyme Stem; 1 Bell Pepper (small); 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper (or habanero); 1 Potato (large); 1.5 Tablespoon Ketchup; 4 cloves Garlic; 2.5 Water; 1.5 Water (added in after 10 minutes); 1.5 Teaspoons Onion Powder; 1.5 Teaspoons Garlic Powder; 1 Teaspoon Paprika; 2-2.5 Teaspoons Jamaican All Purpose; 2-2.5 Teaspoons No Salt Seasoning; 1.5 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning; Salt (to taste)

August 13, 2025Tiffany

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 6-7 People

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Last Updated on August 13, 2025 by Tiffany

These brown stew lentils are a new vegan Jamaican classic! Made with traditional yaadie seasonings and cooking methods presented in a nontraditional way. This dish is loaded with Caribbean flavor and plant based protein!

brown stew lentils topped with fresh thyme

This brown stew lentils recipe is perfect for meal prep, packed with fiber and magnesium, a good amount of iron, and tastes damn delicious!

What is Jamaican Brown Stew?

Brown stew is a popular method of stewing chicken in the Caribbean. It typically uses a sauce called browning which is basically burnt/caramelized sugar. Learn how to make it yourself here.

My family has always used soy sauce for brown stew recipes but today we’re using coconut aminos. Its a slightly sweeter, soy free, low sodium alternative to soy sauce and it tastes so good!

brown stew lentils next to scallion and bell peppers

This dish can also be found in other Caribbean islands like the Virgin Islands, Barbados, and Antigua, but originated in Jamaica. I personally have a great love for this dish due to the depth of umami flavor and cultural significance.

Brown stew is one of my favorite dishes ever! I’ve created three other vegan brown stew recipes using tofu, chickpeas, and oyster mushrooms and each are equally delicious.

What you’ll need- Jamaican Brown stew Lentils

water, seasoning, potatoes, lentils, coconut aminos, scallion, ketchup, and thyme on a white background

Green Lentils– The best choice of lentils for this recipe

Coconut Aminos– Click here to grab your own bottle

Water

Tomato

Onion

Scallion

Fresh Thyme

Bell Pepper

Scotch Bonnet

Potato

Dry Seasoning- Jamaican Brown Stew Lentils

Jamaican All Purpose– Grab your own using this link.

Onion powder

Garlic Powder

Paprika

No Salt Seasoning

Italian Seasoning

Salt

How to make vegan Jamaican Brown Stew Lentils

Step One:

chopped fresh vegetables on a wooden cutting board

Chop the tomato, onion, scallion, and potato into bite sized pieces as shown in the photo. Leave the thyme stems and scotch bonnet whole and do NOT cut or burst as the seeds are very spicy!

Be sure to properly wash and dry your lentils!

Step Two:

water in a pan with seasoning and veggies

Sautee the fresh veg in oil until fragrant or for about 3-4 minutes. Add in the lentils and chopped potato as well as the water, dry seasonings, coconut aminos, and ketchup.

Stir to combine everything and cover. Allow to simmer on medium heat for the next 15-20 minutes.

Step Three:

Once the lentils are cooked, now is the time to possible add in the second round of water if needed (I needed to put it when I made my batch).

Salt to taste, serve with your choice of grain and enjoy!

brown stew lentils in a pan on a wicker mat

How to store Jamaican Brown Stew Lentils

This recipe is absolutely DELICIOUS paired with white rice or coconut quinoa and stores well too making it great for meal prep!

Store these brown stew lentils in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer safe container in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.

brown stew in a pan next to parsley and bell peppers

Did you enjoy this recipe? Sharing is caring! Be sure to share with family and friends and save to your Pinterest board for later.

Other delicious vegan Jamaican Recipes you’ll also love

Curry Pumpkin

Callaloo Rice

Jerk Tofu