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Red Lentil Stew with Coconut Milk is a creamy, comforting stew full of vegetables, curry, and spices. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and high in fiber, it’s perfect for healthy weeknight dinners or make-ahead lunches. Serve this hearty stew with naan bread, tabbouleh, or Mediterranean Salad, and you’re all set!
In this Vegan Golden Coconut Milk Lentil Stew, red lentils are combined with greens and veggies in a creamy turmeric-spiked broth. Turmeric gives this soup its vibrant color and earthy flavor base while coconut milk binds the flavors together and gives it body. And the best part? Leftovers can be stored in the freezer for later. A win-win!
Delicious, Deep, Earthy Flavors
Whenever I’m looking for a hearty (and healthy!) lunch or dinner recipe, I go for this red lentil stew with coconut milk. Spicy, sweet, and loaded with good-for-you ingredients, this stew is sure to please. The combination of red lentils, herbs, and spices makes this a great lunch or dinner recipe.
Featuring a creamy base, the subtle flavor of ginger, and a gorgeous yellow color from turmeric, this vegan lentil stew is not only gorgeous and delicious, but it’s also high in plant-based protein!
Besides being delicious, it is also entirely healthy, nutritious, and packed with warming spices and vegetables.
So What Is a Stew?
Well, the key lies in the amount of liquid in the dish. Soups are brothy and have enough liquid in them to float the ingredients around, while a stew refers to any dish prepared by stewing—that is, submerging the ingredients in just enough liquid to cook them through at a low simmer in a covered pot for an extended period of time.
Stews usually have a thicker consistency than soups.
The Coziest Comfort Food
What’s In This Golden Lentil Stew Recipe?
Fresh Veggies: You will need onion, garlic, carrots and some cilantro to sprinkle on top (optional).
Ginger root: A key ingredient of the stew is ginger, which needs to be zingy and at its best rather than just a background flavor.
Turmeric: It adds a lot of flavor to soups, stews, and lentil dishes like this one! It has a delicious flavor and is loaded with health benefits.
Olive oil or coconut oil: I keep a few jars both on hand because they’re great for cooking and baking.
Red lentils: These are one of my favorite legumes to keep on hand! I always keep a few pounds in my pantry because they dissolve quickly and have a great texture in stews like this.
Coconut Milk: You can use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or lite coconut milk. Without using any dairy, the flavor makes this dish super rich and creamy.
Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a spicy kick! To give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor, I like to add a few shakes.
Some Health Benefits of this Golden Vegan Coconut Milk Stew
Onions, carrots, ginger, turmeric, and lentils are just a few of the nutrient-dense ingredients in this recipe.
Lentils, in all their tiny legume glory, are nutritional powerhouses with the ideal balance of protein and fiber. They are excellent candidates for plant-based soups and stews because they help you feel fuller for longer.
Plus, they’re inexpensive and last a long time in the pantry.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
The lentils in this stew make it super filling so you can serve it on its own or as a side dish with salads. I like having it on its own on a chilly day with a piece of naan bread!
This stew can be stored in individual portions in the fridge for up to 5 days. Simply microwave for 2-3 minutes to reheat. You can also store the leftovers in a large bowl with a lid.
You can freeze this stew for up to 3 months! Simply freeze in individual portions and defrost overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat in the microwave from frozen for 6-8 minutes, stirring halfway through the reheating time.
The options are countless! You can try my Thick Red Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Soup, Mujaddara, Mujadaret Roz, any many other dishes.
Top Tips
- Red lentils cook faster and become softer when cooked than green and brown lentils. This explains why they work so well in thick, creamy lentil stew.
- There is no need to soak the dried lentils in advance. Although this is the case when cooking dried beans, dried lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Just rinse them in cool water.
- Vegetable broth is used to cook all the ingredients of this stew. However, if you are not a vegetarian, you can use chicken broth instead.
Perfect for Healthy Weeknight Dinners
Golden Lentil Stew Ingredients
Here’s my favorite red lentil stew recipe. In addition to coming together in half an hour, I bet you already have the ingredients on hand.
- olive oil (or coconut oil)
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- ground ginger or ginger knob
- ground turmeric with a pinch of black pepper
- carrots, diced
- red lentil
- water
- coconut milk
- salt
Toppings (Optional)
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- Red pepper flakes
- cilantro
- Ready whole grains rice
How to Assemble this Hearty Golden Lentil Stew
First, add the olive oil to a large pot. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate or mince the ginger. Sauté the onion, garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent. While the onions, garlic, and ginger are cooking, peel and slice the carrots.
Next, add the turmeric and red pepper to the pot and sauté for a minute more. Add the carrots to the pot, sauté for a minute more, then add the lentils and water. Place a lid on the pot, bring it up to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
Finally, toast the coconut flakes while the soup simmers. Add the coconut flakes to a dry skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Stir continuously as the flakes heat until they are about.
Creaminess, Spiciness, & Earthy Vibes
Other Recipes You Will Enjoy:
- Zucchini Egg Skillet
- Crispy Air-Fried Sweet Potato Fries
- The Supreme Vegan Black Bean Burger
- Easy Stuffed Cabbage (Malfoof)
- Carrot and Sweet Potato Thai Soup
- Easy Fresh Guacamole Recipe
- Spicy Potato and Cilantro (Batata Harra)
- Pea and Carrot Stew (Bazella w Roz)
- Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip)
- Smooth Vegan Hummus Recipe
Vegan Coconut Milk Red Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 onion, yellow
- 2 cloves garlic
- ⅓ teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger, or 1 inch ginger knob
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup red lentils
- 4 cups water
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk can
- ½ tablespoon salt, or to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- ⅓ cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
- Red pepper flakes
- ¼ bunch cilantro
- ready whole grain rice
Instructions
- First, add the olive oil to a large pot. Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate or mince the ginger. Sauté the onion, garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent. While the onions, garlic, and ginger are cooking, peel and slice the carrots.
- Next, add the turmeric and red pepper to the pot and sauté for a minute more. Add the carrots to the pot, sauté for a minute more, then add the lentils and water. Place a lid on the pot, bring it up to a boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to low, and simmer for 20 minutes covered.
- Finally, toast the coconut flakes while the soup simmers. Add the coconut flakes to a dry skillet and place it over medium-low heat. Stir continuously as the flakes heat until they are about.
This stew was fantastic! It had a lot of flavor and was incredibly light at the same time. Really pleased
Yum! It is super flavorful. Glad you enjoyed it!
I love trying new recipes so when I saw this one I made it the next day! It tastes as great as it looks! Yummm
This one is one of my favorite vegan dishes! So glad to hear you liked it!
How much turmeric should I add? This looks really good!
Hi Jena, 1/3 teaspoon turmeric