Vegan One-Pot Coconut Lentils (Printable)

Hearty lentils cooked with coconut milk, spinach, and spices for a nourishing, flavorful meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Lentils & Legumes

01 - 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed

→ Aromatics

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 inch piece fresh ginger, grated

→ Spices

05 - 1 tablespoon curry powder
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
09 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Liquids

11 - 1 can (14 fluid ounces) full-fat coconut milk
12 - 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
13 - 1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil

→ Vegetables

14 - 3 cups fresh baby spinach
15 - 1 medium tomato, diced

→ Garnish

16 - 1 lime, cut into wedges
17 - Fresh cilantro, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft and translucent.
02 - Stir in the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
04 - Mix in the rinsed red lentils and diced tomato.
05 - Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable broth. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil.
06 - Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and creamy.
07 - Add the fresh spinach and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes.
08 - Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It actually tastes like you spent hours cooking, but honestly the whole thing takes less time than scrolling through your phone.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, which might be the secret reason this became my go-to on exhausting days.
  • The coconut milk makes it naturally creamy without any dairy, and the lime at the end wakes everything up in the best way.
02 -
  • Red lentils will continue absorbing liquid even after you turn off the heat, so if your curry seems a bit thin when you take the lid off, that's actually perfect and means you're about 5 minutes away from ideal consistency.
  • Toasting the spices for those 30 seconds matters more than you'd think, the difference between a flat tasting curry and one that tastes like someone actually knew what they were doing.
03 -
  • Always rinse your red lentils before cooking because the starch on them can make the final curry gummy if you skip this step, and nobody wants gummy dahl.
  • Full-fat coconut milk is not negotiable here, the light version just doesn't deliver that creamy richness that makes this taste like actual comfort food rather than something you're eating because it's healthy.
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