Champagne Tastes®

  • About
  • Travel
    • Food Travel
    • Outdoor Adventure
  • Recipe Index
    • Garden To Table
    • Seafood
    • Camping Recipes
    • Ferment
    • Backyard Foraging + Wild Game
    • Cooking Basics
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Garden To Table
  • Seafood
  • Ferment
  • Foraging + Wild Game
  • Cooking Basics
  • Camping Recipes
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Food Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Camping Recipes

    Campfire Fish Lentil Stew

    Published: Mar 11, 2021 · Modified: Oct 19, 2023 · Leave a Comment

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    This easy campfire fish lentil stew is made with white fish (such as cod) and poached in red lentils, spinach and spices. Cook it in a Dutch oven over a fire!

    campfire fish lentil stew in a bowl

    This week the sun came out.

    And we were oh so happy to see it!

    It's been a particularly snowy and icy winter (by Kentucky standards anyway) and the warm, spring-like weather this week feels amazing.

    The weather was so incredibly gorgeous that it just seemed wrong to stay inside. I didn't even want to go inside for dinner.

    So we didn't.

    Instead, we made a campfire and cooked outside.

    This campfire fish lentil stew is a variation of one of my other favorite meals, this (meatless) campfire red lentil stew. It's made with white fish cooked in spiced tomatoes, red lentils and spinach.

    Want more outdoor cooking ideas? Try making campfire fish tacos, campfire nachos, campfire pizza, campfire bratwurst and sauerkraut, camp stove chickpea curry and camp stove fish curry.

    Do I Need Special Campfire Cooking Gear?

    You'll need a cooking pot that can be placed directly into a campfire.

    I recommend using a campfire Dutch oven, a specialty pot that includes feet to keep the pot sturdy above hot coals. (It's perfect for a lot of different camping meals!)

    You'll also want a lid lifter to help remove the hot Dutch oven lid. I use this Lodge lid lifter.

    Want more recipes for your campfire Dutch oven? Try making campfire lasagna and campfire chili.

    It's also helpful to have long-handled cooking utensils (like a metal spatula and serving spoon) to help keep your hands farther from the fire.

    We also like to keep a set of camping dishes and titanium sporks on hand to avoid carrying breakable dishes (or pricey silverware) outside.

    Check out our camping kitchen gear recommendations for more tips!

    What Kind of Fish Should I Use?

    This recipe works best with relatively thick fillets of white fish, such as cod or halibut.

    It's also delicious with (sometimes) harder-to-source white fish, such as grouper, lingcod and sablefish.

    You could also use thinner fillets of white fish, such as flounder or tilapia, but be aware that the fish may fall completely apart in the stew. It will still taste delicious!

    If you want to use thinner fillets and don't want the fish flake apart completely, try adding the fish about seven minutes before the lentils are done cooking (halfway through the final cook time).

    A meat variation of this stew is tasty too! If you have access to venison, try this venison lentil stew.

    The Best Campfire for Cooking

    As lovely as a roaring campfire is, when you're cooking, it's best to use hot coals.

    We usually make a campfire and then scrape hot coals to one side of our double campfire ring, but you could also let your main campfire burn down to hot coals.

    How to Make Campfire Fish Lentil Stew

    Start by placing your Dutch oven on an level place over hot coals.

    Add oil, onions and spices to the pot.

    Cook Onion with Spices
    Cook Onion with Spices

    Cook the onions until they begin to soften. The spices become fragrant as they begin cooking.

    Add the tomatoes to the pot and bring them to a simmer.

    Add Tomatoes to the Dutch Oven
    Add Tomatoes to the Dutch Oven

    Next, add the lentils, spinach and water.

    Bring the water to a boil.

    Add Lentils, Spinach + Water
    Add Lentils, Spinach + Water

    Set the fish in the pot.

    If your fillets are overlapping a little it's totally fine.

    Add Fish to The Stew
    Add Fish to The Stew

    Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes.

    That should be long enough for the lentils to cook through and absorb most of the liquid.

    Cook the Stew Covered
    Cook the Stew Covered

    Next, use a lid lifter to remove the lid.

    Check the fish to see if it's opaque and flaky. Test the fish with the spatula if you're not sure-- you should be able to flake the fish easily.

    If your fish isn't quite done, cover the pot and cook for another five to ten minutes until the fish is ready.

    Serve this campfire fish lentil stew right away and enjoy your meal in the great outdoors!

    campfire fish lentil stew in a Dutch oven
    campfire fish lentil stew in a bowl
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 4 votes

    Campfire Fish Lentil Stew

    This easy campfire fish lentil stew is made with white fish (such as cod) and poached in red lentils, spinach and spices. Cook it in a Dutch oven over a fire!
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Prep Time5 minutes mins
    Cook Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time30 minutes mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 296kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • campfire ring
    • charcoal briquettes (or firewood)
    • cast iron dutch oven (campfire-style preferred)
    • metal spatula
    • cutting board
    • knife
    • can opener (if cans aren't pop-top)
    • serving spoon
    • bowls
    • spoons

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 onion, diced
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 teaspoons garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
    • 1 cup red lentils (rinsed and sorted)
    • 1 15 oz can spinach, drained Or use ~2 ounces fresh or ~10 ounces frozen spinach.
    • 12 ounces white fish (~2 large or 3-4 small fillets) Cod, halibut, sablefish, grouper or lingcod will work well
    • 3 ½ cups water

    Instructions

    • Prepare campfire: Heat coals until they are very hot, or let a campfire burn down until the wood is smoldering but without active flames.
    • Add olive oil, onions, salt, garlic, and spices to the Dutch oven. Set uncovered on coals. Let onions cook for 1-2 minutes until softened.
      Cook Onion with Spices
    • Add tomatoes to the pot and cook 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes begin to simmer.
      Add Tomatoes to the Dutch Oven
    • Add spinach, lentils, and water.
      Bring mixture to a boil.
      Add Lentils, Spinach + Water
    • Set the fish in the pot.
      Add Fish to The Stew
    • Cover Dutch oven and cook about 15 minutes until the lentils are tender and the fish is opaque and flaky. Depending on the thickness of the fish, you may need to cook an additional 5-10 minutes.
      Allow lentils to cool slightly before serving.
      campfire fish lentil stew in a bowl

    Notes

    Frozen fish: I almost always recommend thawing your fish before cooking for the best texture.  However, in this recipe frozen fish should work just fine.  Adding frozen fish to the pot will increase the cook time.
    Thin fish: This recipe works best with relatively thick fillets (like cod), but if you want to use thinner fillets (like tilapia or flounder), be aware that the fish will likely fall apart while cooking.  Optionally, add the fish about 7 minutes before the stew is done cooking to keep the fillets more intact.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 296kcal (15%) | Carbohydrates: 35g (12%) | Protein: 28g (56%) | Fat: 5g (8%) | Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) | Cholesterol: 37mg (12%) | Sodium: 794mg (35%) | Potassium: 1032mg (29%) | Fiber: 16g (67%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 200IU (4%) | Vitamin C: 15mg (18%) | Calcium: 86mg (9%) | Iron: 5mg (28%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

    More Camping Recipes

    • Two cups of mulled apple cider.
      Mulled Cider (Small Batch)
    • Two campfire hot dogs and sauerkraut inside brioche buns topped with swirls of mustard.
      Campfire Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut
    • Campfire chili in Dutch oven sitting on picnic table.
      Campfire Chili with Beer
    • Coffee at Charlies Bunion
      How to Make Coffee While Camping

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

    Learn More →

    Currently Trending

    • langostino lobster rolls on a serving tray.
      Langostino Lobster Rolls
    • pan-seared rockfish on a plate
      Pan-Seared Rockfish
    • pan-seared red snapper on plates
      Pan-Seared Red Snapper
    • crab butter sauce on a platter with crab legs
      Crab Butter Sauce

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe and Photo Reuse Terms + FAQ

    Copyright ©2015-2025 Champagne Tastes
    All Rights Reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.