Slow cooker Red Lentil Stew is a healthy, hearty dish that’s packed with delicious nutrients! It features spinach and a rich aromatic broth with a medley of savory spices.
This comforting and satisfying vegan dish is great for feeding a hungry family, but also works as a meal prep option. The leftovers last all week and provide multiple tasty meals!
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💚 About This Recipe
With a variety of filling and nutritious ingredients, this hearty slow cooker red lentil vegan recipe is ideal for a fantastic and healthy meal on a budget!
Majorly customizable, this hearty stew slowly cooks throughout the day and results in a comforting dish with lots of warm flavors. Lentils provide an affordable base for this dish and help the stew fill you up on cool evenings or any chilly day.
Similar to my Brazilian Fish Stew or Easy Shrimp Stew, this is a nice healthy recipe, and it's also great for vegetarian or vegan diets!
If you like this vegan stew, you might also enjoy this Mushroom Curry, which is another vegan dish with a similar flavor profile.
And spinach lovers will enjoy this Spinach with Fettuccine dish!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- red lentils - a little sweet and slightly nutty, these hearty legumes are perfect to add a nice rich and comforting quality to your stew with lots of plant-based protein.
- diced tomatoes - the tomatoes and their juices help create the broth for slow cooker lentils.
- onion
- curry paste - I used red curry paste to provide some robust flavor base.
- seasonings - in addition to the curry paste, gather some ground ginger, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt.
- vegetable broth - you can use another kind of broth like chicken stock if you prefer, but vegetable broth keeps this red lentil stew in vegan territory.
- frozen cauliflower - a nice convenient ingredient that adds some nice veggie goodness.
- spinach - I've found fresh spinach works best, but you could also buy frozen spinach and let it thaw first.
- fresh lime juice - balances out all of the savory richness with a bit of acidity. Fresh lemon juice also works fine!
- fresh cilantro - for an optional garnish, fresh chopped cilantro is a great way to add a pop of color and herbal flavor.
🔪 Instructions
- Dice the onion.
- Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker aside from spinach, lime juice, cauliflower, and cilantro.
- Mix in vegetable broth and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.
- 30 minutes before the stew finishes, stir in the cauliflower and continue cooking.
- Just before serving, mix in the spinach until wilted.
- Garnish with lime juice and cilantro and enjoy!
❔ FAQs
Lentils, like beans and peas, are legumes! They're also sometimes called pulses and have been used in a wide variety of cuisines all around the world.
No, slow cooking the lentils means there's no need to rinse and soak them first! I love that this recipe is convenient and cuts down on prep time.
The likely answer is overcooking. I do recommend trying this recipe and cooking on low heat the first time to get a handle of how quickly your slow cooker will cook the lentils. You may need to adjust and reduce the cooking time.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- For the spinach, I bought a 10 ounce bag and used about half of it. Spinach cooks down quite a bit, so don't be afraid to get a lot in there!
- If you can't find or don't have curry paste, you can also use curry powder. Use 1 teaspoon of the curry powder for every tablespoon of curry paste the recipe calls for (which is 2 in the base recipe).
- Top with a drizzle of hot sauce, some sour cream (or a vegan substitute), and serve red lentil stew with a nice side of crusty bread.
📌 With a bold warm flavor and hearty, filling ingredients, these slow cooker red lentils are the perfect way to stretch a buck and make a quick and easy meal the whole family will love!
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Instead of red lentils, you could use yellow lentils. Green lentils and brown lentils aren't well suited for this dish texture-wise.
- Add dried pinto beans in with the lentils, or even use them instead of the lentils!
- Substitute fresh ginger for the ground ginger if you prefer the fresh flavor.
- Feel free to add or subtract whatever you like to the mixture of warming spices.
- Use chicken broth or beef broth for a little kick of extra flavor.
- Mix in additional cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes or chili powder if you prefer your hearty red lentil stew on the spicy side.
- Mix in other frozen vegetables like green beans, corn, carrots, asparagus, broccoli, or squash. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are also great options.
🔊 What readers are saying...
"Awesome vegetarian meal! Thank you :)"
- Christina
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Allow your leftover red lentils to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container. In the fridge, your leftovers will be good for 3 to 4 days. You can also freeze these lentils for several months, though the texture may not be quite the same after you thaw and reheat.
To reheat, you can microwave individual portions in microwave-safe bowls, or transfer all of your red lentil stew to a pot over medium heat and stir occasionally until heated through.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
I love this dish because it contains everything you need for a well-rounded meal, but if you're feeding a larger crowd, serve it alongside a Chickpea Pasta Salad, some Garlic Herb Roasted Potatoes, or this crowd pleasing Cornbread Casserole. You can also make Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix for a quick and easy batch of classic cornbread!
✔️ More Slow Cooker Recipes You'll Love
- Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef - Sticky, sweet, and savory, this delicious and tender beef recipe is perfect to satisfy any and all takeout cravings!
- Slow Cooker Maple Cinnamon Oatmeal - This is perfect for a comforting and filling breakfast that will energize you through chilly and gloomy days.
- Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Dump Cake - Your slow cooker can be used to make fantastic desserts like this autumnal spice cake!
- Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip - This super easy recipe from Stay Snatched is a must-have for casual entertaining!
Slow Cooker Red Lentils
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📋 Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons curry paste (I used mild)
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 12 ounces frozen cauliflower
- 5 ounces fresh spinach (can substitute 1 package frozen spinach, if needed)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except for the cauliflower, spinach, lime juice, and cilantro in the slow cooker.2 cups red lentils, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 4 cups vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons curry paste, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
- About 30 minutes before it's done, stir in the cauliflower, replace the cover and let it continue to cook.12 ounces frozen cauliflower
- Right before serving, stir in the spinach until it's wilted.5 ounces fresh spinach
- Add the lime juice and cilantro, mix well, and serve.1 tablespoon lime juice, ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Notes
- I bought a 10 ounce bag of spinach and then used about half of it.
- If you can't find red lentils, you can use yellow lentils. Green or brown lentils don't have a similar texture after cooking so they aren't good substitutes. In a pinch, you can use pinto beans.
- You can substitute chicken broth for the vegetable broth if desired.
- To substitute curry powder instead of curry paste, use 2 teaspoons. You may need to adjust that amount to taste. To add a little extra heat, stir in some cayenne pepper.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
Update Notes: This post was originally published in March 2014, and was republished with tips, step by step photos, and a recipe change in April 2024.
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Happy cooking!
Toni
I love how comforting this is! A new favorite at my house!
Tayler
I made this stew for dinner last night and it was delicious! So full of flavor!
Ned
Hearty and delicious! I loved this so much!!
Julia
this lentil stew is one of our favorite dinners! easy to make and healthy!
Boston Girl Bakes
Dizzy Busy and Hungry's Slow Cooker Red Lentil Stew is an absolute winner! Packed with wholesome goodness and bursting with flavor, this hearty dish is a nutritious delight. The combination of tender red lentils, vibrant spinach, and aromatic spices creates a mouthwatering experience that's sure to satisfy. A must-try for anyone craving a healthy and delicious meal!