Vegetarian Curried Lentil Stew

With just seven ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, the best and easiest curried lentil stew is just 30 minutes away. Make-ahead awesome, simple, and satisfying. {Vegan, gluten-free}

Fans of lentils, meet the ultimate, quick-and-easy comfort food dish. I know that with the flip of the March calendar, we’re starting to look ahead to spring greens and lighter fare, but this one is just too good to leave until fall. And honestly, it’s comforting, but not heavy, and it’s an awesome canvas for further treatment. I won’t be abandoning it for salads any time soon, lol.

This recipe was such a happy accident. When I test a recipe for da blog, I often make it — or parts of it — the day before, both to save time in general, and also to test its make-ahead-ability.

This recipe was intended just to be the base for another recipe — and it is; that recipe coming soon! — but I wasn’t expecting it to be its own delicious thang.

Minimal-ingredient dishes isn’t a focus of this blog, nor is it the way I cook for myself, so when I spied the recipe on Food52, I was expecting just a nice, utility dish. I immediately tweaked it in preparation for the lentil recipe I ultimately wanted this to become — still just seven ingredients, a tiny bit of prep (chop an onion!), and 20 minutes at the stove.

Wowsers. I’m a curry spice blend addict anyway, but I love how such a simple ingredient can effortlessly elevate a dish to a whole new level. With some tomato paste and smoked paprika for added umami — ooolala.

The recipe was also a great excuse to use my favorite lentil, the black beluga lentil. Tiny and plump, they cook into lentil perfection, tender but firm. You can also use French Du Puy lentils, which are generally easier to find than the belugas, but I wouldn’t recommend red, green, or brown lentils, which will likely cook down to mush.

It was delicious straight from the pot, but an overnight stay in the fridge let it bloom into something truly craveable. And that’s how a base for another recipe became worthy of a blog post all on its own.

If you love lentils, or are trying to convince someone to love lentils, this is the recipe to start with.

I can eat this right out of the bowl and be happy, but serve it with a side of rice and a green salad, and you have a meat-free meal even carnivores will love!

Karen xo

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5 from 1 vote

Curried Lentil Stew

This lentil stew is so easy to make and tastes even better the next day. Simple, healthy, satisfying.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 177kcal

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus a little extra
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 1/3 cups black beluga lentils or French Du Puy lentils, picked over for stones or debris
• 6 cups very hot water keep it simmering on low in a small pot on the stove
• Kosher salt

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat, until shimmering. Saute the onions in the oil until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Scootch the onions to one side, and add a quick pour of extra virgin olive oil to the cleared spot. Spoon the tomato paste, curry powder, and paprika over the oil, and stir until very fragrant (just 30 seconds or so).
• Mix the spice paste into the onions. Add the lentils, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and then add two ladles of the hot water, stirring well. Let the lentils absorb most of the water, and add two more ladles of water, stirring well. Repeat, until the lentils are tender, but not mushy (i.e., they should be al dente). The stew should be slightly saucy, but not at all soupy, Taste, and add salt as needed.
• Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 177kcal

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.

Adapted from Sabrina Ghayour via Food52

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