coconut curry lentil veggie stew

cozy up!

Given that we’re officially in the winter chapter of winter — rather than the holiday chapter — I decided that it was time for a pot of stew. Specifically, one that’s absolutely brimming with both nutritious vegetables and addictive flavor. And because it’s about to escalate to the blizzard chapter for some of you, I’m sending this a day early!

One of the most popular recipes over the summer was this sunshine curry, and today’s recipe is my wintry answer to that. Instead of summer veggies like zucchini and squash, we’re using a classic and comforting mirepoix (aka minced onion, carrots, and celery) as the base for our stew. We’re also bringing in a legume for plant-based protein, and adding red curry paste and coconut milk for next-level flavor and creaminess.

Legumes like the red lentils we’re using today are filled with antioxidants and fiber, and boost our health in SO many ways (they can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol! they can help ward off heart disease! they reduce cell damage!). We should all be eating more legumes this year and beyond, and this delicious curry is here to help us do just that.

no lentils, please

That said… if you’re a lentil hater, there are sub options of course. You can swap in 2 cans of drained chickpeas or any white beans. Only use 1 cup of stock and simmer the chickpeas and veggies for 25 minutes. Or make chicken curry! For that, throw a pound of chicken tenders in when you add the quart of stock. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes, take it out and shred it, then add it back in. See the “substitutions” section below the recipe for another vegetarian option. (If you’re a new WTC subscriber, don’t sleep on the notes and subs below the recipe! Lots of good intel down there.)

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more soup

If curry isn’t your thing but you’re still craving a big pot of soup or stew, try one of these fan faves from the WTC archives:

• creamy but cream-less tomato soup + cheddar biscuits

• creamy white turkey chili

• good soup

• green chicken tortilla soup

• one-pot chicken tikka masala stew

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coconut curry lentil veggie stew

Serves 6 to 8

Cook time: 45 to 50 minutes

Tools:

• Chef’s knife and cutting board (OR food processor)

• Large pot

Ingredients:

• 1 medium red or yellow onion, minced

• 2 celery stalks, minced

• 3 medium carrots, scrubbed clean and thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or other neutral cooking oil

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, minced or grated

• 4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

• 1 to 3 tablespoons red curry paste (depending on the brand! see notes below!)

• 16 ounces (2 cups) dry red lentils

• 1 quart veggie stock (or 4 cups water plus 1 heaping tablespoon veggie or chicken Better Than Bouillon)

• 2 (13.5-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes

• 1 small bunch fresh cilantro

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 1 lime

We’ve got some chopping to do! You are free to do it in the food processor (chop each veggie into 4 big pieces, then pulse) or use a knife and get to it!

If using a knife: Mince 1 medium onion and 2 celery stalks. Thinly slice 3 carrots into round pieces. If the carrot is so thick that the piece would be too big to eat, cut the carrot in half vertically first.

Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped veggies and a big pinch of salt and pepper and stir until tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn up the heat if needed, but don’t let them brown too much. Meanwhile, mince or grate a 2-inch piece of ginger (no need to peel it) and 4 garlic cloves.

Stir in the the red curry paste (read notes below to determine how much you should add). Add the minced garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute.

Add 16 ounces red lentils, 1 quart (4 cups) veggie stock, 2 cans coconut milk, and 1 can crushed tomatoes.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. The lentils should be tender, but not totally mushy.

While the lentils are cooking, finely chop 1 small bunch fresh cilantro (both leaves and stems). We are looking for 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro. Set some aside for garnish, and add the rest to the pot.

Stir in 1 tablespoon fish sauce and 1 tablespoon lime juice. Taste. If it’s not delicious, it probably needs more salt. Mine needed about 1/2 teaspoon salt, but this will depend entirely on how salty your stock and fish sauce are. Stir in a little pinch of salt at a time and keep tasting and adding until it’s perfect.

Serve with cilantro on top.

coconut curry lentil veggie stew

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• But I hate lentils: OK, let’s just make a curry veggie soup! Add 3 cups of 1/2-inch chopped hard vegetables such as sweet potatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, or parsnips, and only add 1 cup of stock instead of 4 cups. Cook until all of the veggies are fork tender, 20 to 25 minutes. See the headnote for 2 more sub options (chickpeas and chicken!) and how to swap them in.

• But I hate curry: Omit the curry paste and add 1 tablespoon garam masala and 1 teaspoon cumin instead. Tikka masala vibes! Don’t like that either? Just omit the curry and you’ll be left with a tomato coconut broth that will be fab. Add extra fish sauce, salt, and lime juice (just a pinch or splash at a time) until it’s perfectly flavorful and delicious.

• So how much curry paste do I use? This will depend on how spicy the brand you have is — they vary a lot. Thai Kitchen red curry paste is really weak, so use 2 to 3 tablespoons of it. Mae Ploy, Mekhala, and Maesri on the other hand are REALLY spicy, so start with one scant tablespoon. Blue Elephant brand has medium spice, so start with 1.5 tablespoons, and add more if desired. If you have a brand of red curry paste not mentioned here, taste it before you add any. Is it super spicy? Use the scant tablespoon starting point. Is it totally mild? Go the 2 to 3 tablespoon route. Remember, it’s easier to add more spice than it is to dial it back!!

• Must have meat: See the headnote above the recipe for how to turn this into a chicken curry.

• Add a grain: It’s a filling meal as is, but I threw some leftover rice (and shredded chicken) into my leftovers yesterday and it was 10/10. The stew would also be delicious plated atop this cilantro-lime rice or some fresh pita.

• Save time: Trader Joe’s and many other grocery stores carry pre-chopped mirepoix (chopped carrots, celery, and onion). Grab one of those and use in place of the carrots, onion, and celery. Use the whole container. If your store doesn’t sell it, they might at least sell diced onion, which is another time-saving hack that I fully endorse.

• Prep ahead: Chop the veggies up to 3 days in advance and store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Alternatively, you could go ahead and make the whole thing up to a day ahead of time and store it in the pot with its lid on in the fridge. Reheat it on the stove over medium heat, adding splashes of veggie stock or water as needed to loosen it up.

• Love your leftovers/freezer-friendly: Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you could freeze any extra stew for up to 3 months. I love to freeze them in quart-sized Ziplocs. Lay them on a baking sheet in the freezer at first so they freeze into a nice flat sheet — this makes them easy to store. You could halve the recipe if you’re cooking for 2 and don’t want leftovers. Or double it if you want to freeze a batch or take some to a friend or neighbor!

• What to cook with your leftover red curry paste: The thai chicken chop and/or peanut vegetable curry would be amazing additions to your meal plan this week or next.

• Add some leafy greens: Throw a few handfuls of chopped spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or escarole in at the same time as the cilantro and stir until wilted.

• Dairy-free: Already is!

• Gluten-free: Fish sauce is one of those sometimes-it-is-GF, sometimes-it’s-not-GF ingredients, so check the bottle. If needed, use tamari, coconut aminos, or shoyu instead.

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• Onion: Any color onion, 2 large shallots, or 2 leeks (thinly sliced; white and light green parts only)

• Celery: A small head of fennel or 2 extra carrots

• Carrots: Parsnips or 3 extra stalks of celery

• Coconut oil: Olive oil or another neutral cooking oil like grapeseed, avocado, or canola oil

• Ginger: 2 teaspoons ground ginger or 4 frozen minced ginger cubes

• Garlic cloves: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

• Red curry paste: 1 tablespoon curry powder + 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger + 2 teaspoons cumin + 2 teaspoons chili powder + 1 teaspoon turmeric. Yellow curry paste also works. But red curry paste is a pretty common ingredient at most major grocers, so you should be able to easily find it!

• Dry red lentils: Dry green, brown, or yellow lentils. If swapping in a different color lentil, start taste-testing at around 15 minutes, tasting every few minutes until they’re tender but not totally mushy (they all cook at slightly different speeds). Or you could use 2 cans of drained canned lentils or chickpeas. If using canned, only use 1 cup of stock and simmer the lentils/beans and veggies for 25 minutes. Read the headnote’s “no lentils, please” section for how to swap in chicken. And read the “but I hate lentils” note for how to make a delicious veggie curry sans lentils.

• Veggie stock: 4 cups water plus 1 heaping tablespoon veggie or chicken Better Than Bouillon. Or you could use veggie or chicken broth (or chicken stock).

• Coconut milk: Shop for full-fat coconut milk instead of lite — lite won’t thicken the curry up as much as we want. You could also use cans of coconut cream if that’s all you can find. Alternatively, you can use heavy cream or Greek yogurt to thicken the stew. Start with 1/4 cup and add more as desired (just not too much that it overpowers the curry flavors!).

• Crushed or diced tomatoes: A can of tomato purée or half a can whole peeled tomatoes (just crush or dice the whole tomatoes by hand or in a blender first)

• Cilantro: Basil or a green like spinach or omit

• Fish sauce: Soy sauce, shoyu, coconut aminos, tamari

• Lime juice: A tablespoon of light-colored vinegar (good options would be rice vinegar or white wine vinegar)

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Editor: Molly Ramsey