I recently started trying some vegan dishes, mostly because my mom has been eating a vegan diet to see if it will help ease some of her inflammation-related health issues (hi, Mom! *waving*). I am actually trying the recipes not because they are vegan, but more because they just sound delicious!
However, I do believe that a plant-based diet has its benefits, and although I am not planning to go completely vegetarian or vegan at the moment, I am definitely trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into our dinner plans. So far, this one has been one of our favorites!
Now, before I talk about this dish, in the spirit of full disclosure I will confess that Thing 2 did not like this at all. It has tomatoes, it has a little spicy kick (which the rest of us love), and overall it is just not something that he would immediately take to. I knew that even before he tried it.
However, I will keep serving this dish periodically, because it really is so flavorful and I think he will eventually come around! In our house, if you don't like the dinner, you are not generally required to clean your plate, but you are required to eat at least some of what is served.
As I always say (and the boys are probably sick of hearing), eating something you don't like will not kill you! Sometimes we need to eat things even if they are not our favorites, just because they are good for us and we need the nutrition for our bodies to function properly. (Although Thing 2 is not completely convinced of that, I am sure!) And you never know, you may end up surprising yourself and not disliking something as much as you think you will!
This recipe was adapted from Our Best Bites, whose recipe was adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. This meal is great if you want a big bowl of flavor without the guilt! Each generously sized serving is around 100 calories.
It is also really filling and super-nutritious! Did you know that lentils are actually little nutritional powerhouses? Besides being a great source of fiber, they also provide B vitamins, protein, iron, and more! So this recipe is a good opportunity to start to work more lentils into your family meal plan, which is good for everyone!
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Slow Cooker Red Lentil Curry
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📋 Recipe Card
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Curry
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.
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Sam
I am not a fan of slow- cooker recipes, because I start cooking only when I am hungry. Can you please add stove -top or pressure cooker modifications for your yummy recipes? Thanks.
Kristin King
Hi Sam, I definitely do that when I can! But just to give you some perspective as to why I often don't, keep in mind that I always test my recipes thoroughly to make sure that the instructions are reliable. Therefore, when I add modifications for different cook methods, I have to test all of them, which exponentially adds to the time and effort and cost of posting the recipe. Plus, my family eats all the recipes I test, so we would have way too much food in the house if I made every recipe multiple times for different cook methods, and my freezer is already full as it is, lol! However I definitely appreciate the suggestion, and will try to work in different cook methods to my instructions whenever I can!
Mother of 3
Thanks for sharing at the Welcome Spring Linky. Pinned.
Jann Olson
We love curry, but I have never tried cooking my own. Can't wait to make it! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Justin Birkholz
Looks delicious! We are also interested in eating more vegan/vegetarian meals and this looks like a good hearty, healthy meal.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This sounds so good - pinned! Thanks for sharing at the What's for Dinner party.
Pascal Michon
Hi
I used thai curry and it was very delicious. Thank you
Jean
Awesome recipe, I will recommand it to all my family 🙂
Kristin King
I am so glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by to let me know, you made my day! 🙂
Simone
Great thanks!
Simone
Hello! What type of curry paste did you use? Looks great.
Kristin King
Hi Simone! I use Patak's curry paste. It is red and comes in hot or medium. Enjoy! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
David
I am half- way through preparing the dish. Do you really not add any water?
Kristin King
You have liquid from the diced tomatoes and the vegetable broth, so if you added those, you are good! I never added any additional water. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂