Vegan Curried Lentils | 30 Minute Meal

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!