Soul-Warming Curried Red Lentils
vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, easy
Curried red lentils are without doubt, the single dish I’ve made more times than any other in the past year and a half. It’s so warming and cozy, it just hits all the right comfort food notes.
It also helps that it is INCREDIBLY easy and fast to make, requires almost no chopping and creates minimal dishes, and is vegan, gluten-free, and full of protein and fiber.
Click to read the full recipe descriptionIt needs only a few basic pantry items, requires only one pot, and can be paired with a variety of salads, grains, fermented vegetables, or breads for a super healthy, very easy, infinitely versatile dish. It’s the busy person’s best friend.
For the best possible flavor, you can use fresh ginger, grind whole cardamom pods (you can do it with a blender or a morter and pestle), and/or garnish the lentils with roughly chopped, fresh coriander or cilantro leaves. The extra effort required for this is relatively minimal and really takes this dish to the next level.
That being said, I make this ALL THE TIME, and I don’t always want to take the extra time. So if you’re in a rush, use pre-ground spices and skip the extras. It will still be delicious.
Soul-Warming Curried Red Lentils
Weigh out the lentils in the pot and add the water and the vegetable bullion or salt. Place the lentils on medium-high heat until the water reaches a rapid boil. Then reduce the heat to medium/low and bring the water to a simmer. The lentils will be frothing, but don't worry about scooping it off. The lentils will froth as they release their pectin and natural starches--making the end product creamy without any extra work from us!
Add the spices and stir.
Continue cooking 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pot, until most of the water has been absorbed and the lentils are thick and creamy. Click here to activate a timer for 20 Minutes.
Optional Step: If serving with rice, begin cooking it according to package instructions while the lentils are on the stove. If serving with cabbage slaw or a salad (which I highly recommend), prepare that now.
Once the lentils have broken down to a very creamy consistency, add your milk of choice, stirring as you go, until your preferred consistency has been reached.
Adjust spices to taste. For more "smokiness" and heat, add smoked paprika or cracked pepper. For a little extra sweetness, add just a touch more dried coriander or cinnamon.
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Servings 4
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 271
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 1g2%
- Sodium 364mg16%
- Potassium 748mg22%
- Total Carbohydrate 46g16%
- Dietary Fiber 23g92%
- Sugars 2g
- Protein 20g40%
- Vitamin C 5%
- Calcium 4%
- Iron 31%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ingredients
Directions
Weigh out the lentils in the pot and add the water and the vegetable bullion or salt. Place the lentils on medium-high heat until the water reaches a rapid boil. Then reduce the heat to medium/low and bring the water to a simmer. The lentils will be frothing, but don't worry about scooping it off. The lentils will froth as they release their pectin and natural starches--making the end product creamy without any extra work from us!
Add the spices and stir.
Continue cooking 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pot, until most of the water has been absorbed and the lentils are thick and creamy. Click here to activate a timer for 20 Minutes.
Optional Step: If serving with rice, begin cooking it according to package instructions while the lentils are on the stove. If serving with cabbage slaw or a salad (which I highly recommend), prepare that now.
Once the lentils have broken down to a very creamy consistency, add your milk of choice, stirring as you go, until your preferred consistency has been reached.
Adjust spices to taste. For more "smokiness" and heat, add smoked paprika or cracked pepper. For a little extra sweetness, add just a touch more dried coriander or cinnamon.
Take it Further…
- Garnish with a handful of fresh, coarsely chopped cilantro/coriander leaves
- Serving Recommendations: You have lots of options for amazing ways to eat these lentils! Serve them with cilantro rice for a more standard curried lentil experience. Alternatively (or additionally!) you serve the lentils with a big crunchy salad or a sweet red cabbage slaw. Lightly fermented sauerkraut or other fermented vegetables also make a fantastic side to this meal. The tangy sauerkraut provides the perfect flavor contrast to the lentils and salad, slaw, or rice.
- Possible Variations: This is a great base to build out various curry options. For a sweeter twist add peeled and mashed sweet potato, a generous handful of raisins, and extra cinnamon and ginger. For a savory twist, add spinach (2 minutes before turning off the heat) and roasted aubergine (just bake the whole aubergine in the oven at 450 or 500 degrees F, wait for it to cool enough to handle, use a fork to peel out the soft baked interior and scoop it into the lentils once they are about halfway cooked (around 10=15 minutes into cooking).
Serves: 4 (250 calories each)
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 300 grams red lentils (dry weight)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable bullion (can substitute with 1 tsp fine iodized salt or 2 cups low sodium liquid broth. Just reduce the water to 2 cups if you use liquid broth.)
- 4 cups (925 grams) water
- 1 Tablespoon (5 grams) fresh minced ginger (can substitute for 1 teaspoon dried ginger)
- 3/4 + 1/8 teaspoon dried coriander seed
- 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic
- 1/3 cup unsweetened, unflavored milk of choice
Preparation
- Weigh out the lentils in the pot and add the water and the vegetable bullion. Place the lentils on medium-high heat until the water reaches a rapid boil (About 5-10 minutes but the time will vary depending on the size of your batch and the type of pot you are using). Then reduce the heat to medium and bring the water to a simmer. The lentils will be frothing, but don’t worry about scooping it off; the froth is the pectin and natural starches being released and making the end product creamier.
- Add the spices and stir.
- Continue cooking, stirring every few minutes to prevent the lentils from sticking to the pot, until most of the water has been absorbed and the lentils are thick and creamy. It should take between 20-30 minutes. Once the lentils have broken down to a very creamy consistency, add your milk of choice, stirring as you go, until your preferred consistency has been reached.
- Optional Step: If serving with rice, begin cooking it according to package instructions while the lentils are on the stove. If serving with cabbage slaw or a salad (which I highly recommend), prepare that now.
- Adjust spices to taste. For more “smokiness” and heat, add smoked paprika or cracked pepper. For a little extra sweetness, add just a touch more dried coriander or cinnamon.
Pair this with…
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