This Curried Quinoa & Lentil Stew is hearty, flavourful and packed with plant based protein! An easy dish that comes together in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights.
Quinoa is one of those ingredients that I have a TON of in my pantry but never find myself using. I just prefer rice so much more as my grain of choice and didn’t really know what else to use it for. This huge container of quinoa was just sitting there and I knew it had to be used! Quinoa gives volume, texture and body so I thought why not in stew? It was a solid choice.
I went with the curry route because I’m just in love with all things curry. I added lentils to give it another texture, coconut milk for creaminess, tomatoes for acidity, and just a tad of spinach for some extra health.
This stew seriously sparked inspiration to start using this nutrient dense ingredient more. Quinoa is:
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high in complete proteins and amino acids
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packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants
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gluten free!
Expect to see some more recipes using quinoa in the future! Especially with the warmer weather coming up, I’m foreseeing that it would be an amazing ingredients to use in fresh salads and desserts! Whats your favourite way of using quinoa? I’d love to know 🙂
Why I think you’ll love this Curried Quinoa & Lentil Stew! It’s:
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hearty
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satisfying
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flavourful with a kick
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packed with complete plant based proteins
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meal prep friendly
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super easy to make
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& kinda.. just really delicious
Tips and Tricks to making Curried Quinoa & Lentil Stew
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I highly recommend using full fat coconut milk for this recipe, it makes a huge difference that I promise you won’t regret! There is no oil used in this recipe anyways, so it’s definitely a good idea to add in some healthy fats.
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You can use any variety of lentils for this dish. Green/brown lentils keep their shape more and red/lentil will have a dal like texture- both delicious. Split peas can work excellent as well and keep their shape better for texture, but requires longer cooking time (see notes below)
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Remember to stir the stew every 3-5 minutes when allowing it to simmer so the bottom does not burn. If it looks like it needs a bit more liquid, add 1/2 a cup and check on the texture of the lentils! This will depend on how liquid-y your coconut milk and canned tomatoes are.
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This is a great meal prep/freezer friendly meal! It will last in the fridge up to 5 days and in the freezer for 2 months.
If you recreate this Curried Quinoa & Lentil Stew please share it and let me know what you think by tagging me on Instagram @lisakitahara, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Curried Quinoa & Lentil Stew
Description of Recipe
Makes: 4 Servings
Prep time:
Cook time:
Ingredients:
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 cup lentils, rinsed*
- 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
- 1 cup carrots, cut into half moons
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- handful of cilantro, green onion tops and dairy free yogurt for garnish
Instructions:
- On medium high heat, add onions, garlic and ginger into a large pot and fry for 1 minute. Add in the curry power, cumin, graham masala and fry until fragrant (around 3 minutes).
- Add in the diced tomatoes, carrots, vegetable broth, coconut milk, split years, quinoa, salt and pepper. Give it a stir, allow it to come to a boil and then bring the temperature down to low.
- Cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until lentils are cooked through. Add in the spinach and allow it to wilt down. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve in a bowl and garnish with cilantro, green onions and coconut yogurt. Enjoy!
NOTES
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* most lentil varieties require similar cooking times. Green/brown lentils may need an additional 5 minutes. If using split peas, increase cooking time by 20-25 minutes.
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Love it! Thanks for combining my two latest obsessions (quinoa and lentils) in one dish! And can’t go wrong with curry spices, hehe. This turned out amazing and I’ll be making your stew again soon. Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious, one of the best recipes I’ve cooked in months. It will definitely be a favorite as it’s so easy to make. I did increase the amount of the spices though, which I always do when cooking.