I had this stewed lentils recipe ready to go and share with you, but bailed at the last second because, despite tasting great, the look was a bit more muted than I would have likes. After sharing on Instagram and receiving requests for the recipe in my DM’s, I’m posting it here for you. Sometimes it’s not all about looks! I love the zippy and fresh flavors along with the unmistakable richness of coconut milk. A simple homemade spice blend along with ginger, garlic, lime, and jalapeño are an ideal foil for the earthy lentils.
Building a legume/grain base on the stove and topping that with well-seasoned roasted veg is a vegan dinner power move. I employ it often in my cooking! This coconut couscous with golden roasted cauliflower is a well-loved example. If you’ve tried and enjoyed that one, these stewed lentils may be just the thing for you.
As I was working on this recipe, I became fixated on the idea of a green, creamy sauce to snug around the lentils simmered in vegetable stock. Blending steamed spinach with coconut milk and a few flavor spikes of lime and Tamari does the trick. The green does get muted towards the end of the cooking process! A finishing touch of chopped fresh cilantro brings the vibrance back up.
I like to leave the vegetables a bit chunky for roasting. To me, they look extra nice/ a little rustic all piled on top of the lentils.
Serving bowls of these stewed lentils and veg with lime wedges to squeeze over top is a must! I also like dabs of chili crisp because I can never get enough of spice. Some sharp heat and crunchy texture is so gratifying with the softer components of the dish.
Spinach & Coconut Stewed Lentils with Roasted Vegetables
Ingredients
Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
Roasted Vegetables
- 2 medium carrots, peeled
- 1 small head cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ of the spice blend
- salt and pepper, to taste
Stewed Lentils
- ½ cup water
- 227 grams (8 oz) baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 teaspoons Tamari
- 1 400 mL can full fat coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large shallot, small dice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (leave some seeds in if you want more heat)
- ½ of the spice blend
- 1 cup green lentils (could also use black beluga or French)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock, plus extra
- salt and pepper, to taste
To serve
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- lime wedges
- chili crisp, optional
Equipment
- Blender
Notes
- You want a lentil that will keep its shape! For this reason, I only recommend, green, French, or black beluga lentils.
- If you want to skip the blending step, you can simply add the baby spinach, lime zest + juice, Tamari, and coconut milk in step 8. You’ll still have a nice sauce around the lentils, but with whole bits of spinach instead.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
Make the spice blend
- In a small bowl, stir together the cumin, coriander, garlic powder, and onion powder. Set aside.
Prepare the roasted vegetables
- Cut the carrots in half lengthwise and then cut the halves into 2-inch chunks. Place the carrots on a baking sheet. Cut the cauliflower into florets and place onto the baking sheet as well. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil and sprinkle the spice blend. Season with salt and pepper before tossing to coat all of the vegetables in oil and spices. Spread them out in a single layer and pop in the oven.
- Roast the vegetables until tender and golden, about 45-50 minutes. Flip them over/stir them around after 25 minutes of cooking.
Prepare the stewed lentils
- Set an upright blender out on the counter near the stove.
- Set a braiser or deep skillet on the stove over medium heat. Pour in the water and add the baby spinach. Close the lid and let the spinach steam until it wilts, about 1 minute.
- Using tongs, transfer the steamed spinach to the blender. To the spinach, add the lime zest, lime juice, Tamari, and coconut milk. Blend this mixture on high until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Wipe out the braiser and return it to the stove over medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño all at once. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add the remaining ½ of the spice blend and stir. Add the lentils and vegetable stock and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and cover with the lid. Lower the heat and simmer until the lentils are just about tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. If they're still too hard, add more vegetable stock and keep simmering.
- To the lentils, add the spinach coconut milk mixture and stir. Bring this to a boil until the liquid is thickened around the lentils, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Remove the lentils from the heat and top with the roasted vegetables. Garnish with the cilantro. Serve the stewed lentils and vegetables hot with lime wedges and chili crisp on the side.
wow. I tried this and was amazed. It did take me a lot longer to cook the stew because I was using a smaller, deeper pot that I had on hand. but the longer time just meant it was becoming more flavourful. thank you for publishing this. I will be trying more of your recipes. <3
I’m so glad you published this! I was feeling lazy and skipped the roasted veggies, but the lentils alone were fantastic. That green broth! Mine ended up pretty watery and I’d do less water for the lentils next time, but the flavor was fantastic and it worked as a soup-ish bowl.
This was incredible! My lentil adverse sweetheart went back for seconds. Seems like a lot of steps but it really is a smooth process for full flavors. Thank you!
Another fantastic recipe Laura! It might take a bit of time but it is not difficult and the flavours are delicious.
Love the recipe. What is chili crisp?
Hi Linda,
Chili crisp is a crunchy and spicy condiment with roots in Chinese cuisine. Hot oil is poured over dried chili, garlic, onion, other spices, nuts/seeds and infused. You use both the oil and the crunchy bits as a condiment. It’s really great on noodles, soups, rice bowls etc. I typically buy the Lao Gan Ma brand, but a local spot (called Stoke At Home) makes a good one that I’ve been buying lately. It’s also easy to make at home! There’s lots of recipes online.
-L