A vegetarian easy lentil curry that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes and makes for a perfect, healthy easy dinner meal. It can be served over basmati rice and/or with naan bread.
Love Indian food -- and more specifically curries? Me too!!
Easy Lentil Curry
This vegetarian, gluten-free Lentil Curry is inspired by the hearty and comforting flavors of Indian cuisine... with the spiciness dialed back a bit.
A real plus here: it was ready in less than 30 minutes. Don't believe me? Well, check out the secret!
All it takes is basically onions sweated in vegetable oil, carrots, canned lentil soup, coconut milk, spices, and lime juice to prepare this freaking delicious stew. Just like that-- simple!
The use of canned lentil soup cuts the cooking time significantly, making our Lentil Coconut Curry ideal for busy weeknights.
This means you can come from a tiresome day of work and still fix yourself or your family a very nice meal without all the stress and the time usually required.
You are making magic in the kitchen, honey!
How to Make Easy Lentil Curry
- In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sweat the onion for about 3 minutes or until fragrant, stirring every now and then. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Don't let brown!
- Add the lentil soup, coconut milk, tomato paste, all the seasonings, and spices (and the vegetable broth if needed). Stir well until combined and increase heat to medium-high.
- Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium, add the sliced carrot and bay leaf, and let curry cook, uncovered, for about 7-10 minutes. Stir now and then if needed.
- Adjust the seasonings. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!
What to Serve with
Our Lentil Curry can be served over basmati rice and/or accompanied by naan or any other bread of your choice.
Since I forgot I had a package of garlic naan in the freezer, I served it with toasted French bread and it was delish. If you like crackers, well hey you could even use those instead. It's all up to you!
This is a healthy, no-fuss, dairy-free, and naturally gluten-free meal, and we want to keep it like that, right?
Making your life (and mine) simple is my mission. 😉 And that is so true that we have many more quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas awaiting you.
I hope you enjoy our Easy Lentil Curry and get some well-deserved rest. A prize for those who work hard on a daily basis, without neglecting healthy eating.
Storage
Store our easy lentil curry leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. Do not freeze!
Other Curry recipes
- Mushroom Curry Recipe (Keto/Vegan)
- Slow Cooker Chicken Satay Curry (Thai-Style)
- Low Carb Coconut Chicken Curry
- Low Carb Cauliflower Curry Soup
- Parsi Chicken Pathia
PIN & ENJOY!
Vegetarian Quick and Easy Lentil Curry
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 wooden spoon
- 1 knife
Ingredients
- 2 Tablepsoons vegetable oil
- ¼ small red onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 38 oz canned lentil soup (I used Progresso lentil soup). If your canned lentils come with water instead of a broth, drain the liquid and rinse the lentils. Then, add about 1 cup of vegetable broth to the soup when cooking.
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste , optional
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt (or more if desired)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 bay leaf, optional
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3-4 Tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and sweat the onion for about 3 minutes or until fragrant, stirring every now and then. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Don't let brown!
- Add the lentil soup, coconut milk, tomato paste, all the seasonings, and spices (and the broth if needed). Stir well until combined and increase heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium, add the sliced carrot and bay leaf, and let the lentil curry cook, uncovered, for about 7-10 minutes. Stir occasionally if necessary.
- Try and adjust the seasonings. Stir in lime juice and chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve hot over basmati rice and/or accompanied by naan or any other bread of your choice. I served with toasted French bread.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Such a savory dinner recipe! This lentil curry would be fabulous with naan bread and a green salad.
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
AMAZING!!! I can't wait to try this dish. It has been a little cooler here (21c) which is perfect for a hearty and warming curry. Cant wait to try this, love that it can be in my belly so quickly too.
John/Kitchen Riffs says
Wow, what nice flavor! Terrific dish -- very creative. Thanks!
Mi Vida en un Dulce says
Do you know that is a tradition in Peru to have lentils on Monday? Yeap, because if you eat lentils on Monday, you will have money 😉
Flavor Quotient says
This looks so delish! Amazing recipe, very healthy as well! 🙂
Denise Browning says
Hi, Flavor Quotient!
Thank you for stopping by. Yes, this is one of those recipes that one can put together quickly and it is a crowd pleaser. I hope you give it a try and enjoy!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
Wow…this doesn't take anytime to put together and it sounds terrific.
Little Cooking Tips says
Well we may not have canned lentil soup here, but we sure can use this recipe and make a fantastic meal:):) As you may have notice from the usage of garam masala in some of our recipes, we're BIG fans of Indian food and this one hit the nail on the head.
Great work dear Denise!
xoxoxo
JB says
So yummy! I say that as a no vegetarian.
RaeDawn Biegel says
This was amazing. I made it for my lunches and it was easy.
Denise Browning says
Hi, Rae! I'm so happy that you made one of our quick vegetarian dinners and enjoyed it. Happy weekend!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls says
Thank you for sharing this delicious idea. I really love how you made this recipe so easy!