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Home » Courses » Mains » Vegan Curried Lentils | 30 Minute Meal

Vegan Curried Lentils | 30 Minute Meal

Published: Jan 22, 2020 Modified: Sep 1, 2020 by Alison Corey

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vegan curry lentils

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Vegan Curried Lentils are flavorful, rich in nutrients, and totally satisfying! With crunchy carrots, sweet onions, and bell peppers this lentil dish delivers on texture and taste!

lentils in pot with parsley and spoon
pantry and fridge staples

Lentil soup is a classic in our house. It’s something that my whole family will eat, especially when they have some crusty whole wheat bread for dunking.

Lentils are a staple in plant-based kitchens. Why? They’re nutrient dense, full of plant protein, easy to prepare, and versatile. You can flavor them to work in many different types of world cuisine.

I use lentils in Mediterranean recipes, Mexican dishes, twists on classic American fare, and in this case with Indian spices to create a rich, thick, flavorful dal.

Many people who are new to plant-based or vegan dishes may not be familiar with lentils. I grew up on lentils so it wasn’t a big leap for me to use them more regularly when I started eating plant-based.

Lentil recipes are great to make when planning your vegan prep meals for the week! You can make a large batch and use them in a variety of recipes.

There are many different types and colors of lentils. Not every type of lentil is right for every dish. There are red, brown, yellow, green, and even black lentils. Each has a different texture and slightly different flavor.

See my Lentil Tacos post more information on the different types of lentils.

For this recipe I used red lentils. You could also use yellow lentils. Both are smaller in size than green or brown lentils, and cook more quickly.

vegan curried lentils overhead with wooden spoon

Why You’ll Love these Vegan Curried Lentils…

  • 30 minute meal
  • Chock full of veggies
  • High in plant protein
  • Filling and satisfying
  • High in fiber
  • Rich flavor profile
  • Not too spicy, kid approved!
  • Omnivore husband loved it too!

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • 1 cup of yellow or red lentils (rinsed)
  • 4 cups of vegetable broth
  • 1 cup carrots diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1 cup red pepper diced
  • 3/4 cup sweet onion diced
  • 15 oz can of diced organic tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

  • Stock Pot
  • Cooking Spoon
  • Cutting board
  • Chopping Knife
  • Measuring Cups and measuring spoons

There’s no fancy equipment needed to make these lentils. It’s a one pot meal. Easy to pull together in your stock pot or large sauté pan. All you need to do is chop some vegetables and let the spices bring the flavor.

spoon stirring lentils

How to Make Vegan Curried Lentils – Step by Step

Step 1: Sauté onions in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes.

Step 2: Add chopped carrots and bell peppers. Add remaining vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.

Step 3: Add rinsed and drained lentils. Stir to combine. Simmer with lid on for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Step 4: Reduce heat. Add spices: curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with brown rice, or quinoa and top with fresh chopped cilantro.

overhead shot of lentils in bot with parsley

Tips for Making Vegan Curried Lentils

  • You can use precooked green lentils to save on time. I prefer the yellow or red lentils as they have a softer texture which I like in this dish.
  • There are many varieties of lentils. Some require a longer cooking time. Be sure to read the package instructions for the lentils you purchase if you do not use red or yellow lentils. Green lentils will require a longer cooking time.
  • Find many types of lentils in the bulk section of your grocery store.
  • For meal prep, you can prepare the lentils in advance, and mix them into the sauce and vegetables to save you time when you’re ready to serve.
  • This dish tastes great over brown rice or quinoa. Brown rice also takes longer to cook, so you can prep this ahead of time or choose to use quinoa which cooks more quickly.
vegan curried lentils in pot

What are the health benefits of lentils?

Lentils are an inexpensive legume that are packed with nutrients and plant-protein. If you’re new to plant-based eating, or an old pro, lentils are a great source of vitamins and nutrients that are low cost and delicious.

  • Low in Fat and Calories-Lentils are naturally low in fat and calories. 1 cup of cooked lentils has only 230 calories, and less than 1 gram of fat.
  • Nutrient Rich-Lentils are a good source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. Iron in particular is sometimes lacking in a vegan diet, so making lentils a regular staple of your diet will help maintain healthy iron levels.
  • High in Plant Protein-Lentils are an excellent source of plant protein making them a staple in a vegan diet. I cup of cooked lentils contain about 18 grams of protein.
  • High in Fiber-Lentils are high in fiber which helps with digestions, and keeps you feeling full for longer periods of time making it less likely you’ll reach for a snack.
  • Polyphenols-Lentils are a good source of polyphenols which are known to help with inflammation as well as the antioxidants which may have cancer prohibiting properties.

Do you cook lentils before adding them to curry?

It’s not necessary to cook lentils prior to adding it to your curry. However, the lentils absorb liquid.

So when you add the lentils to your broth it will absorb most of the liquid creating a thick stew like consistency that’s perfect for putting over top rice or quinoa, or sopping up with vegan whole wheat naan.

If you prefer a thinner consistency I recommend preparing the lentils in a separate saucepan before adding them to the pot with the veggies, broth and spices.

How do you cook lentils?

If you are pre-cooking the lentils prior to adding them to your dish, here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Rinse and drain 1 cup of lentils

Step 2: Bring 4 cups of water or vegetable broth to a boil. Add rinsed and drained lentils. Bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. *Simmer for 5-8 minutes.

Step 3: Remove from heat. Drain excess water. Stir into your curry or other dish.

*Cooking time will vary depending on the type of lentils you use. This cooking time is for red or yellow lentils. Green lentils will require a longer cooking time.

wood spoon stirring lentils

What do I serve with Vegan Curried Lentils?

You can eat these Vegan Curried Lentils on their own! It’s a hearty and filling dish without any additions. However, it also tastes great with the following additions.

  • Brown Rice
  • Quinoa
  • Vegan Naan
  • Top with Vegan Yogurt or Sour Cream
  • Fresh chopped herbs
  • Cashews
close up of curried lentils in pot

Check-Out these other Vegan Lentil and Curry Recipes!

  • Vegan Lentil Soup
  • Vegan Sweet Potato Curry
  • Indian Red Lentil Dal by The Wanderlust Kitchen

If you’ve tried my Vegan Curried Lentils, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!

lentils in pot with parsley and spoon

Vegan Curried Lentils

Vegan Curried Lentils are flavorful, rich in nutrients, and totally satisfying! With crunchy carrots, sweet onions, and bell peppers this lentil dish delivers on texture and taste!
4.84 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate Save Recipe Saved Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: curry lentils, vegan curried lentils, vegan curry lentils
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 162kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup red or yellow lentils rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 cup carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 1 cup red pepper diced
  • 3/4 cup sweet onion diced
  • 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • cilantro for garnish

Instructions

  • Sauté onions in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth for 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for an additional 2 minutes.
  • Add chopped carrots and bell peppers. Add remaining vegetable broth, and diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil.
  • Add rinsed and drained lentils. Stir to combine. Simmer with lid on for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are soft.
  • Reduce heat.Add spices: curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook an additional 3 minutes until heated through. Serve with brown rice, or quinoa and top with fresh chopped cilantro.

Video

Notes

  1. You can use precooked green lentils to save on time. I prefer the yellow or red lentils as they have a softer texture which I like in this dish.
  2. There are many varieties of lentils. Some require a longer cooking time. Be sure to read the package instructions for the lentils you purchase if you do not use red or yellow lentils. Green lentils will require a longer cooking time.
  3. Find many types of lentils in the bulk section of your grocery store.
  4. For meal prep, you can prepare the lentils in advance, and mix them into the sauce and vegetables to save you time when you’re ready to serve.
  5. This dish tastes great over brown rice or quinoa. Brown rice also takes longer to cook, so you can prep this ahead of time or choose to use quinoa which cooks more quickly.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 607mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4456IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kushigalu

    January 22, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Drooling over this delicious and flavorful vegan curry. I will try this out soon. Yum!

    Reply
  2. Anita

    January 22, 2020 at 8:26 pm

    5 stars
    This lentils curry is so good, and oh so easy. I’m not a vegan, but I truly enjoy my meal with this. 🙂

    Reply
  3. Jo

    January 22, 2020 at 8:45 pm

    5 stars
    Lentils are one of my favourite foods ever and they really come alive in this recipe. Beautifully spiced, simply perfect!

    Reply
  4. Chris Collins

    January 22, 2020 at 8:48 pm

    5 stars
    These Vegan Curried Lentils are PERFECT for Veganuary! Can’t wait to try them 🙂

    Reply
  5. Irina

    January 22, 2020 at 9:01 pm

    5 stars
    You are buying me with this 30 minute recipe! Love your curried lentils! Looks and sounds so easy and delicious! It is worth trying:)

    Reply
  6. Julie H.

    September 23, 2020 at 11:10 pm

    4 stars
    I made this recipe and it was really yummy! The only thing I would do differently is to decrease the curry powder to half. If was a little heavy on the curry and made it too strong.

    Reply
    • Alison Corey

      September 24, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      Hi Julie! Thanks so much for your input. I sure do love my curry seasoning, so I can see how it might be a little strong for some.

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Alison!

I'm a plant-based vegan, married to a meat eater, with two picky kids. I use whole food plant-based ingredients to create a delicious compromise in the kitchen. My goal is to create simple and flavorful main dishes, salads, snacks, and the occasional dessert that I feel good about feeding my family, and they delight in eating.

More about me →

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