The First Mess Cookbook
There is plenty of seasonal, plant-based soup and stew inspiration in my cookbook. You’ll also find vegan dinners, hearty salads and sides, and wholesome desserts.
We’re in that last stretch of Winter where I just want it to be OVER. The sight of a fresh snowfall is, yes, beautiful (like this coconut milk stew!). But I also know that we’re still in for at least another 6 weeks of cold and grey. Embracing the coziness is helpful and cooking new and exciting things is great, but ultimately I just keep imagining myself on a beach somewhere with a blended drink. The thought alone is helpful!
As far as I know, I won’t be getting to that beach anytime soon, so I’m cooking sunshine-y things in my little kitchen instead. This Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale, Rosemary & Lemon is a great example–bright and hearty at the same time.
For a quicker, still satiating and flavourful lentil soup with greens, I recommend checking out my Lemony Red Lentil Soup. Just like this recipe, it’s loaded with spices and finished with zingy citrus. Another dinner recipe with similar flavors is my Harissa Coconut Lentils with Kale & Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
This sweet potato and coconut milk stew is a glowing shade of orange with vibrant pops of green from kale and cilantro. We use lots of chili and ginger in this stew, along with a bunch of other spices. The flavour profile, spice combination, and recipe itself is inspired by Indian cuisine as well as Thai coconut milk-based curries. You get sweetness, spice, earthy vibes, creaminess, texture from the lentils, and a squeeze of lime rounds everything out.
If you count common spices as one component, this sweet potato coconut milk stew hits at around 10 ingredients. It’s very simple to make, definitely hearty, and accommodating for different dietary sensitivities. If a stew could have it all, this would be IT.
For my taste, it has just the right amount of richness from coconut milk–a real flavour bomb with a deep wholesome glow. Just the kinda thing I’m after lately. I love making it with homemade vegetable stock, but it’s not necessary.
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Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- ½-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (I use Diaspora Co's ground Guntur Sannam Chillies)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ lbs (690 grams) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup brown lentils, picked over
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped kale)
- To garnish: chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, nigella seeds
Notes
- Coconut milk is naturally sweet and so are sweet potatoes (obviously). I like to go in with a lot of dried chili to balance things out, but of course add as much as you feel comfortable with.
- Chard or mustard greens would also be delicious in place of the kale.
- You already know: I always recommend making your own vegetable stock. My go-to method here!
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Saute spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.
- Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.
- Serve the sweet potato and coconut milk stew hot with chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, and Nigella seeds (if using).
Great recipe, i had to riff based on what was on hand but the process and theme were on point
Added broccoli, bell peppers, cashews.
Would probably do a full cup of lentils next time. But ya this flavor profile is kicking and really appreciated the directions
Outstanding! This was so tasty and easy to make. I’d eat this every day if i could! Nice job
Absolutely delicious, just as written. Brava, Laura! And thank you!
This is my most favorite soup of all time!! I’ve made it dozens of times and it never fails to be a crowd pleaser. Freezes well. I’ve occasionally added shredded chicken or sweet sausage to boost the protein. Do you have the nutritional profile available??
Are you able to suggest an alternative to coconut milk please. Thank you!
Hi Dee!
Any rich, creamy milk that you like will work. Cashew milk is a good option if you want to keep things dairy-free!
-L
Amazing! I’ve eaten almost an entire pot by myself!
This was gorgeous! I’ll definitely make it again. So warming and soothing. I could have gotten away with a little more chilli but I tend to be cautious with spice. You can’t take it out once it’s in there! I’ll use a little more next time
Thank you for this recipe that makes both lentils and sweet potatoes shine. The lime finish truly adds another dimension. Can’t wait to try the leftovers tomorrow!
The leftovers are honestly better! :) Thanks for this comment and review, Rebecca.
-L
So delicious!
I too used chicken broth as the base, spinach leaves and yet, when it was done, it still seemed to be missing something. I added a heaping tablespoon of Tikka Masala and bingo! Truly excellent.
Oh my gosh. I made this stew for dinner tonight. It was SO delicious! 5/5 for me! It’s full of warm, deep flavors with a kick of spice. So satisfying on this very cold night. I added 1 cup of dried lentils but kept everything else the same. Plus it came together easily and quickly. SO, so good! This will become a staple for me. Thank you!
Can you make this in a crockpot?
Hi Jenny,
Yep! Generally when converting a recipe with this length of simmering time to the crockpot, you would put it on the low setting for 6-8 hours OR the high setting for 3-4 hours. I’d add the kale in the last hour or so.
-L
Delicious and easy. I would add more lentils next time though. And maybe cook the lentils and potatoes in a crockpot for the day.
Absolutely delicious! One of the best soups I’ve ever had. I left the chili flakes out. I also added ground turkey. When it came to the spices I nearly doubled them. I think it’s worth boiling the lentils for a little while before adding the sweet potatoes.
Made for the first time and will now be on the regular at our home! Truly warming, earthy, full of love comfort food!
First time making this soup, it was delicious! I worried it might be too sweet but it was a perfect balance of flavours. We didn’t have veg broth or cilantro so chicken broth and a few fresh thyme sprigs were my only subs. Thanks for a wonderful addition to our winter soup options!
You absolutely killed this recipe! (This is a good thing! Haha) I loved it so much I had to leave a comment. My husband who is a picky eater enjoyed this as well.
I’m so glad, Karla! Thanks for leaving this kind review :)
-Laura
This soup has been in my regular rotation for years now. It’s easy, delicious and versatile. I always double the lentils ( with a bit more stock ) and add a can of beans with the greens towards the end. Roman beans work well. Today’s greens were spinach and arugula. The lime is essential, imo. I like a shake of smoked paprika into the bowls to finish. Thank you for this lovely soup recipe.
This soup is amazing. I will definitely be making it often in the future. As some others mentioned, I doubled the spices, but that is just my preference. It is a wonderful recipe. Thank you!
Thank you for this kind review, Candace! :)
-L
Just wanted to let you know someone has copied your recipe without credit:
https://www.lisadahlwellness.com/blog-lisa-dahl-wellness/blog-template-tdenb
On another note, I’ve made this stew so many times that I’ve lost count. It has become one of my go to recipes once the weather gets colder; super easy to make and incredibly tasty!
Thanks for letting me know, Patricia! Also very glad that you’ve been enjoying this stew. It’s stilla go-to for us as well! :)
-L
Delicious and even my children love it! Do you happen to have the nutritional breakdown of it?
Hi Shannon,
I don’t have the nutritional breakdown, but there are sites/apps like My Fitness Pal that let you simply copy and paste ingredients into their system to get a rough nutritional estimate! Thanks for leaving this kind review as well :)
-L
Absolutely delicious stew! The sweet potatoes really make it, and I’ve found purple ones are particularly good. Whole family loves it.
I’ve made this a number of times and it is always delicious! I will be making this for a large crowd at the end of tbe month and I was wondering if I could make it in advance and freeze it without compromising texture and taste,
Hi Gabriella!
Freezing this stew is totally fine. I would omit the kale and cilantro though. Once you’ve thawed the stew and you’re reheating it on the stove, add your chopped kale and let it wilt/cook as the stew come sup to a boil. Finish with the fresh cilantro and you’re good to go!
-L
I dream about this. It is us one of my all time favorites. I often double it so that I can freeze half and pull it out when I don’t have time to cook but have a craving for it.
Outstanding!!!
I just made this tonight to have in the slow cooker tomorrow, because I work outside and will be cold when I get home. It was so good that I think I will have to double the recipe next time.
Some modifications I made were I used Japanese sweet potatoes, added some carrots, grated turmeric root instead of the powdered spice, and I added fresh jalapenos to the garnish.
I served it with warm pita and rice. It’s my new favorite cold weather meal. Thank you for introducing me to Nigella seeds!