Ginger sweet potato and coconut milk stew is super flavourful, beautiful, and extra hearty with kale and lentils. Quick vegan dinner recipe!
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, but also? I know that we’re still in for at least another 6 weeks of deep cold and grey days here. Embracing the coziness of it is helpful and cooking new and exciting things is also great, but ultimately I just keep imagining myself on a beach somewhere with a blended drink (perhaps one of these?). 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. (lol that sounded sadder than I intended it to upon re-reading oooops)
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 super 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–a real flavour bomb with a deep health glow. Just the kinda thing I’m after lately. I love making it with homemade vegetable stock, but it’s not necessary. For more soup and stew inspiration, check out my creamy white bean soup with kale, rosemary and lemon or this smoky red lentil stew. Also, click over if you’re looking for more sweet potato recipes.
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).
Can I use ground ginger? Fresh ginger is too expensive here. Can I use red lentils? That’s all I have. Can I use pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes? I don’t like the taste of sweet potatoes.
It sounds like a totally different dish.
You could substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger in this stew, but it will taste quite different/possibly hotter and more bitter. Red lentils are also fine to use, but they will cook faster and start to break down, which will ultimately thicken the stew a bit more. Pumpkin is a great substitute for sweet potatoes.
-L
I used pink lentils. Tastes wonderful. I think any substitutions will be fine. Recipes are a guide more than anything – at least to me they are. It’s soooo good.
I used ground ginger it still tasted great
I didn’t have any sweet potatoes, and we don’t eat potatoes, so I skipped them. Doubled the lentils and used curry powder because I didn’t have any turmeric It WAS FANTASTIC. I cubed up one zucchini to add a bit more veggies and used a ton of kale. I swear my kids loved it and the flavors are fabulous. This is a great recipe! I love the seasonings.
I made this with ginger powder and yellow and red lentils. Due to the limited shopping the market was picked cleaned. It did come out really good. The red lentils did get a bit mushy. The yellow lentils held up better. The powder gringer was just as tasty.
I subbed 1/2tsp ground ginger and the garlic with 1/2tsp ground garlic, i also subbed acorn squash for the potato… (i was saving the potato for sweet potato brownies and acorn squash are also mildy sweet and potato-y). Fab recipe, very hearty, great flavour!
This looks so delicious! I love soups! I may have to make this tonight for dinner :)
This looks incredible!!! Any idea on nutritional info? Calories or fat content? Thank you!
Hi Jill,
I approach food purely from a feel-good perspective. It’s about the pleasure and the relaxation of cooking for me. If nutrition information is important for your lifestyle, there are lots of free online nutrition calculators and apps available that are super simple and quick to use.
Thanks!
Laura
Thanks so much for your reply, Laura! I totally understand. I love your recipes and will do a quick look up for the sake of my tracking (I can sometimes love food too much). :)
This was so delicious
For anyone taking a look down in the comments and curious as well, or if you’ve not made it yet I placed it in myfitnesspal:
For 6 servings
calories 202
protein 10.4g
fat 10.4g (saturated = 9.6g, poly .3g, mono .3g)
carb 21.5g (fiber 8.8g, sugars 3.8g)
Sodium 343.1mg (rough estimate, varies on stock or broth used or salt amount added)
Cholesterol 0
High in calcium, potassium, vitamin A, Vitamin C, and iron.
Definitely adding it to my menu~
Thx!
Is that 202 cals per serve?
Omg this was truly delicious, thank you so much for sharing. I did not have coriander seeds to grind, substituted curry.
Thanks so much for this entirely-refreshing response!
LOVE this approach and answer.
This sounds perfect for a winter day, thanks so much!
It looks heavenly!! I can’t wait to try it.
I’ve got a butternut squash sitting on the counter and kale growing in the greenhouse that should be delicious in this stew! I’m always happy to find recipes that make use of my winter veggies. Thank you!
This looks amazing! But sweet potatoes are way too sweet for me. What’ a good substitution? Butternup squash?
Thanks!
Any winter squash would be great!
-L
Do nigella seeds need to be ground, or can they be used whole Thank you!
I used them whole purely as a garnish here.
-L
I was looking forward to making this as soon as it was posted, as I knew I had all the ingredients at home (including the diaspora chilli and turmeric ) and it looked TASTY and also EASY. Holy yum! So quick to prepare and SOOO GOOD, I’ll def be making this one again!
So glad that you enjoyed it, Lauren! Those Diaspora Co. spices really do make a difference :)
-L
Oh my goodness your food satisfies my souls in so many ways!!! This is another perfect example of delicious, nourishing, big hug type goodness. Thank you!
Question: do you have a recipe for the bread you served it with?
Looks like perfect friend to that golden bowl.
Hi Eden,
Thanks so much for this. Honestly, I just had some pizza dough on hand in the fridge. So I rolled it out into little disks and cooked the disks in a bit of avocado oil in a hot frying pan, pressing the dough into the pan as it cooked.
-L
Oh what a handy dough to have on board!!
This is brilliant… Thank you so much for this idea!
Any feedback on freezing this recipe?
I just made it & it’s very tasty.
Ginger gives it a bite. So a nice sweet spicy balance.
I do wish the liquid reduced more, but that’s okay
Thank you for this. I just happened to have all of the ingredients, so I couldn’t help myself. I too am done with the grayness of winter. This was quite delicious and simple to prepare while I multitasked other projects during dinnertime. I high recommend all of the suggested toppings :)
One comment — the ads on this site have become so large, especially one for Fluzone High Dose. The ad completely obstructs my view and it’s very difficult to find the “x” to close the ad window. So frustrating. Not sure if you are aware.
Hi Kim,
Thank you so much for this. I’m so sorry that the ads are negatively impacting your experience of the site. Was it a pop-up style ad? If you ever see a bad ad, please feel free to take a screenshot and email it to me so that I can show it to my ad provider. From past experience, this is the clearest and fastest way to get to the root of the problem. My email is laura@thefirstmess.com
Thanks again,
-L
I made this for dinner tonight! I read the recipe this afternoon and it spoke to me. I’ve been in a cooking funk and this was just what I needed. It was perfect just as written and will be a new regular in my rotation.
I made this tonight and it was delicious. The spice is just right. It’s earthy and tangy and comes together pretty quickly. I’m definitely keeping this in the rotation.
Beautiful looking stew! Forgive me if I missed this, but I was wondering what that lovely rolled flatbread/pita/or… is?
Thanks for all you do.
Hi Heidi,
The bread in the photo is just some rolled out disks of pizza dough that I had on hand in my fridge. I cooked them in a bit of avocado oil in a frying pan, pressing down on the dough as it cooked. Very tasty and easier than heading out to buy flatbread :)
-L
I made this last night, and added an egg plant because well there was one in the fridge that needed to be used. And it was so delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I served it with brown rice.
What a STUNNING recipe. Thank you so much.
Made this last night. The only variation was using only half the coconut milk and no heat. It was really delicious. The sweetness level was just right. The sweet potatoes and lentils cooked quite fast so it completely worked for a midweek meal. Buttered tandoori bread was perfect on the side. The picture was beautiful and compelling enough to make me try it. Though I am not vegan or vegetarian, it was very satisfying. I just received your cookbook, The First Mess. I have already placed post it notes on the pages I want to try! Five stars from me!
Gonna make this tomorrow, easy to prepare and sure yummy.
I just made this the other day and it was SO good I felt compelled to leave a comment here :) It is perfectly spicy, and comforting while still tasting fresh. The flavors are on point. Thanks for this recipe!
Wow, that looks truly amazing! So creamy and colorful! Thank you so much for this recipe
hi Laura, long time fan of your site–and love so many of your plant-based recipes. Do you think it would be ok to sub spinach for kale–or not preferable? Only asking as I have some spinach on hand that i need too use up but can easily use kale too if the flavor is a better complement…
Hi Allison! Any greens are honestly fine. I prefer hardier greens for this stew because it is quite rich, but if you have spinach on hand, that’s also great. It’s a very flexible recipe :)
-L
This was really really really (really) delicious. The final flavor and textures were kind of unexpected in the best way. This will be a repeat for us!
This is SO good!
Just made this after a hard day’s skiing — what a treat! Instead of the lentils I pressure cooked some red carlin peas with onion and spices and topped it off with these. Delicious!
This! The food and photography are all so beautiful. Everything is mouthwatering and inspiring.
Would this recipe work with black lentils?
Yes it would! They will take about 10-15 minutes longer to cook.
-L
I doubled all the spices and topped with pumpkin seeds (couldn’t find nigella). It turned out delicious! I’m currently warding off a virus that’s going around my workplace, so this warm rich bowl of stew was the perfect thing. Thank you!
One more voice chiming in to say this was delicious! Made as written and it turned out beautifully. Thanks for bringing some coziness to my home :)
Definitely a 5 star recipe that will become part of my regular rotation for cold weather meals! Great that it’s so easy to make too. I increased the quantity of lentils to 1 cup, used ~ 3/4 tsp of the Diaspora chile (great spices, great company), no added salt, and collards instead of kale because that’s what I had. Also, I didn’t bother to peel the sweet potatoes, just washed them really well.
Thanks Laura for another great recipe.
This is SO my kind of thing but my husband doesn’t care for lentils, or chickpeas which would be my first go-to alternative; do you have any suggestions for a substitution? I really want to make this but can’t justify cooking something only I will eat.
Hi Elisha,
Will your husband eat brown rice, quinoa, or other grains? You could also just add more diced vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell peppers–lots of things would work here) to make it a more veggie-focused stew!
-L
I’m a big fan of barley and as decent cook, I bet it would work.
Made this today with some locally grown white sweet potatoes– didn’t get that gorgeous color (still pretty but not that sunset color)– but got all the flavor. So tasty! Took less time than I it would to make, always a plus. Perfect on a cold, windy day. I’m working on transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, and your recipes have been helping to nudge me along. Yay!
OMG this was amazing! Made it tonight. Huge hit. My sweet potato hating hubby even took seconds! Served it with some Naan. From a family trying to transition to vegetarian!
Oh my gosh, this is SO delicious!!!! Heat from the chili flakes, sweetness from the coconut and potatoes, and spice from all the aromatics!
Winner of a stew here. Thank you for the recipe!! Will make it again for sure.
Wow! That’s delicious! I’ve also been loving the double chocolate hazelnut espresso shake on a daily basis. You’re so talented! Keep up the good work!
Wanted to share a photo here. Might have to do this on Pinterest.
Looking forward to making this recipe this week. Searched your encore and couldn’t find one: do you have a vegan naan recipe? One in your pics look delish.
Hi AJ, I do not have a vegan naan or any other type of flatbread recipe on the site currently. The flatbread in my photos was just a bit of pizza dough that I had in the fridge, rolled out into little disks and fried on the stove in avocado oil.
-L
Just finished eating this for dinner tonight! My favourite coconut curry recipe I’ve tried yet! I used quite a bit of chopped ginger and also added some celery and half an apple to the onions. Dandelion greens were on sale in the market so I subbed that in. Thank you for sharing these excellent recipes with us Laura!
I made this a couple nights ago and had for some lunches this week. It was DIVINE! I already can’t wait to make it again. The flavor is just so lovely. I felt squeezing half a lemon at the end really made it all come together. Thanks as always!
Brittany
Mmm sounds wonderfully tasty, will definitely try this! Thank you
I don’t know who you are, who you wit, or what you came to the planet to do, but this right here…….baybay, you did this. Period.
how could this work with someone on a ‘bland’ diet. just reduce amount of spice? also, i already have cooked lentils. just put them in later?
Hi Susan,
I don’t think I can recommend making this for someone on a bland diet unfortunately. Those partaking in a bland diet generally need to avoid high fat foods (like coconut milk), lentils/all pulses, garlic, onion, anything acidic (like lime), and cruciferous vegetables like kale. Once you take out all of these things here, there isn’t much of the recipe left to go on. Might be best to search for some bland diet-specific stew recipes on Google.
-L
That’s what I thought. Thanks. But we are trying to find dietary ways to increase potassium and magnesium and bland diets don’t help at all. Sigh. But we shall try it once chemo is done and good food once again becomes an option.
I stick to bland diets. You certainly can adjust it to your needs. Maybe ask a nutritionist for help. I’d leave out chili flakes and use almond milk instead of coconut milk. Eat a smaller amount to begin with to make sure your tummy can handle it.
Pre cooked lentils would work fine.
The recipe calls for full fat coconut milk. We are watching our fat intake so will try the awesome recipe with ‘lite’. Using Chard instead of kale but have the rest of the ingredients on hand. Can’t wait to try it!
Can I use red lentils? They have a different texture and cook quickly
Yep! They will make the finished stew thicker and creamier.
-L
This is the most delicious coconut stew I have ever made wow! Thanks for the recipe! :)
This was such an amazing and simple recipe!! You can also just feel how much good nutrition is in it.
Thank you!! ~ Nina
I just made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! The flavors were amazing! It came out more like a hearty soup than a stew, but great with a loaf of sourdough bread. I added some chunks of carrots as well as a millet/brown rice ramen (already cooked) to the mix. I think I might be tempted to add more carrots and sweet potatoes next time as there was more than enough liquid. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
Recipe sounds good. When I get all ingredients I will make this recipe.
Hi Im excited to try this but I dont use lentils too much. Im assuming we put them in dried or do we soak them before hand?
Hi Paige! The lentils go in dry.
-L
I see you have several pizza dough recipes on your site, can you direct me to which you used? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
The spelt dough in this post is my go-to: https://thefirstmess.com/2019/06/12/bbq-mushroom-flatbread/
-L
Can I substitute spinach for kale? I always have spinach on hand and husband doesn’t care for the texture & bitterness of kale.
Hi Meghan, You can definitely use spinach instead! It will wilt and cook faster though.
-L
OMG this soup is the bomb I had to control myself from having the hole pot I bow to you dear soup goddess I am posting it on my Instagram @caglaelagozbazley Thank you for this amazing and delicious recipe from the bottom of my heart
New York winters are abysmal, damp and grey. I made your stew on a rainy Friday afternoon, starting with your lovely stock recipe. This is just what my family ( including a very picky seven year old ) needed. Thank you for adding warmth and grounding in a bowl.
PS I will be tripling both recipes next time.
This was phenomenal! So perfect on a drizzly day!!
I am in Australia. We have the end-of-summer gloom. This soup is just what my soul and body needed… and OMG it tastes heavenly. Cooked it tonight, just perfect. Thank you for this recipe.
I like to use a lot of chopped fresh red chili when cooking.
I suppose this could substitute for the chili flakes ?
How much, do you think ?
Honestly as much as you can handle! There’s a lot of mellow and sweet flavours happening with this stew, so it can take quite a bit. It’s also quite dependent on what type of chili you’re using!
-L
Absolutely delicious, thank you.
We made this soup last night! So delicious, thank you for posting!
I made this recipe today exactly as given. It was excellent. I have never heard of your blog before but I will certainly be using it a great deal from now on. Thank you!
OK, this is delicious. I made it 3 days ago and think I’m going to make it again this week. I didn’t make my own stock (I used vegetable bouillon cubes), and I used green lentils instead of black and spinach instead of kale. I also omitted the Nigella seeds and cilantro. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out DIVINE. So hearty and flavourful and satisfying. Highly recommend.
Can this be made in a slow cooker? any thoughts on that?
Hi Lynn, I have not made this recipe in a slow cooker but from a quick look on Google, I think you could place all of the ingredients in the insert except for the kale and cook it on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Them just stir in and wilt the kale at the end.
-L
Thanks, Laura. I actually made it the way you instructed, tonight. It’s fabulous!! Such a flavor party!!
Made this last night and it was one of the best soups I’ve made! Will definitely be saving this recipe. Thanks!
What to use to replace the diaspora chili flakes? They are currently sold out, Regular chili powder? Ancho chili powder? thank you. Can’t wait to make this :)
Hi Carey! I would use regular chili flakes as a substitute.
-L
I’m not usually one to comment, but this stew blew my mind right outta my head. It was super yummo. Make it. Make it now!
YUM! Made this today and loved it! 1/2 tsp chilli flakes was enough for us though. Thank you for a tasty, healthy recipe.
Prepared the Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils for a party last night. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. I sent it out immediately. Thank you. This is definitely going to be a “go to recipe” for me!
Made this today with white yams, so it definitely didn’t look like your picture, more brown/grayish, but the taste was outstanding! It’s similar to another recipe I have for butternut squash, but the lentils add more. Don’t forget to squeeze some lime over top – it makes all the difference!
fabulous ! Second Time I made it in a week.
So delicious! I added a can of chick peas. Perfect combination of ingredients.
I’ve just finished eating this gorgeous stew. It was very tasty and the only mod was more chili, I used gochugaru and little thai chili and less liquid by two cups. Will make again soon with more lentils next.
Hi red lentils instead of brown lentils? And butternut squash instead of sweet potatoe? Thoughts c
Hey Bina!
You could use red lentils. They will break down a lot more and add to the creaminess of the stew, which is great. Butternut squash is a perfect sub for sweet potato. Hope you enjoy!
-L
We really enjoyed this stew, it was very good and easy.
That was incredible. Served with naan bread over rice with a side of Mango chutney. 5 stars.
Do you think this stew would freeze well? I’d love to freeze it and send it to a friend.
Hi Amie,
This stew would freeze great. The only thing that concerns me is that the kale and herbs might get overcooked upon reheating, but if that doesn’t bother you, I’d say go ahead!
-L
I didn’t have veggie stock so I added chicken stock and I also added an handful of currents and some roasted cashews at the end of simmer – so good. The spice combination is just so flavourful; we loved the outcome.
Hi,
I don’t understand how you can make the stew boil before adding the coconot milk, there is no liquid in the pot.
Maybe I am missing to english but I really don’t understand this one.
Can you help me ?
Hi Emeline,
In the step before, you add vegetable stock to the pot. This is the liquid that is coming to a boil before the coconut milk is added.
-L
I finally made this and oh my god. so simple but the flavors are so complex and comforting and perfect for my suddenly-work-from-home lunches. Thank you so much!
This looks amazing!! Def going to make it!! Can I ask what is the bread you have served it with?
Hi Kate,
I just rolled and fried little discs of pizza dough that I had on hand to serve with this. Nothing fancy ;)
-L
Hello, I am just about to cook this as per your directions. Just curious for next time though: would this work in a slow cooker? Thanks in advance
Hi Melissa,
Please check out my response to Lynn who asked the same question!
-L
I love this curry, it is so simple and so so delicious. I’ve made it with many different combinations of vegetables, it’s very versatile. My kids aren’t crazy about onions though so I blend the onions, garlic, ginger, broth and spices right in the pot with my immersion blender before adding all the veggies… works great and they love this curry too! Thank you Laura!
How would this work with white potatoes instead of sweet potatoes? Just wondering because it sounds DELICIOUS but I haven’t got any sweet potatoes on hand. :(
Thanks!
Hi Didi!
Regular potatoes would be fine and would actually make the stew much thicker and heartier. Let me know how it turns out! :)
-L
This was beyond delicious!! I could have inhaled the whole pot!!!
Used ground ginger, chicken broth and green lentils. Turned out just absolutely excellent!
This was absolutely delicious. I was able to use everything as the recipe calls for it. Its hearty, spicy and sweet and oh so good for your body and soul. will be a regular part of my soup/stew repertoire. Thank you!
This recipe is delicious!! I made it exactly as-is, and it was the perfect, comforting meal after a long week of pandemic news. Super easy to pull together, too! Love, love, love this! And will definitely make again. Thank you so much for this delight.
I am eating this delicious soup as I type this! OMG! It’s SO incredibly wonderful!! I love it. Thank you for bringing this to my taste buds!!! Perfect comfort food. Instead of simmering it for 30 minutes I sautéed everything in the Instant Pot then did high pressure for 10 minutes and drank a glass of wine! When I opened it back up I added the kale and coconut milk. I also added 1/2 tsp of garam masala and 1/4 tsp of cayenne at the end (I wanted it even spicier). I did all the garnishes and I would NOT skip the nigella seeds if you can avoid it. Thank you again so much for your yummy food and blog! I wanted to also let you know that the pictures are taking a LONG time to load. Best, Karen
This is delicious! And it’s economical, healthy, pretty, and easy to make. Thank you!
So delicious. Thank you so much for sharing :)
Spectacular. A winner / keeper for sure
Looks amazing and will cook asap. Can you tell me what “picked over” means in regard to the brown lentils ?
Thanks in anticipation .. yumm !
Hi Jenn! Sometimes you’ll find little tiny stones in bags of lentils. So I always just do a quick check after I measure them out.
-L
This was absolutely delicious! It was the perfect balance of spicy and sweet, the nigella seeds really topped it off, I was so glad I chose to add them. Thank you for sharing this dish with us!
Help I accidentally bought lite coconut milk. I have a can of unsweetened too. What should I use. Unsweetened or lite?
Hi Sue! Lite coconut milk is fine. It will just be a touch less creamy! ;)
-L
So good! I doubled the recipe and so glad I did, yum! I switched up the produce to use what I had on hand/what’s cheap given the current pandemic, and used chickpeas instead of lentils. Love the flavor profile, will definitely make this again. It is such a cozy dish :D
Omg, I made this tonight and it is perhaps the best stew I’ve ever made. Fortunately, I already had everything on the list except for ginger. But that’s okay because I don’t like ginger and it tasted amazing without it. I added a bit more chillies than on the recipe and the heat made it so delicious. Thanks so much for such a delicious treat during these difficult days during isolation. x
I wish I had read the recipe through before I started cooking. Coconut milk in first, then onions, cook till translucent, makes no sense. Then later on put coconut milk in – twice???
Please ignore my last comment – I misread the first instruction – it’s coconut oil.
We cooked this today. We didn’t have lentils sonwe used garbanzo beans and it was delicious. Thank you!
If I sub water for veggie stock, which seasonings do you suggest I increase or add?
Hi Jen!
You can increase the spices if you like, but the stew should be fine as-is!
-L
This was absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes – thanks!
This was so delicious! 5 stars!!
I used canned garbanzo beans instead of lentils, and frozen spinach instead of kale. Also used frozen ginger cubes from Trader Joes instead of fresh ginger. And no coconut oil because we had none. I didn’t peel the sweet potatoes. This was a huge hit and my husband had 3 servings, though I expected him to hate the soup. This is a keeper. Also, my soup was not as pretty as the picture on the page – mine looked kind of gross. But it tasted good.
Hi! Is it possible to use already cooked lentils?
Hi Suzette! Pre-cooked lentils are great here. You can still add them at the same point that I do in the recipe or later towards the end of the simmering time if you want. This is a really flexible recipe ;)
-L
If you use canned lentils, do you did less liquid?
If you’re using canned lentils, I would hold the vegetable stock back to 2 cups and add more at the end if you find it necessary.
Great base and so versatile! We eat seafood, so I added shrimp with the chard and was out of lentils so used some chick peas…delicious! Spices are perfect.
I have about half a can of coconut milk leftover from another recipe. Would that be enough?
Hi Laura,
It should be fine! If the stew seems too thick, Just add a splash of vegetable stock or water.
-L
This dish is ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much!!!! I will be making this ALL THE TIME. I added a can of chiclpeas (because why not) when adding the kale and coconut milk, and I had to use ground ginger as that’s what I had. SO SO SO GOOD!!!
OMG!!!! Substituted the fresh ginger for ground since I didn’t have any but OMG this is awesome!!!
Wow! Don’t hesitate to make this! The whole family love this easy, one pot dish and requested I make it a new standard. I had to make some quarantine substitutions- Black lentils (which held up to all the cooking so were great), and low fat coconut milk-but the recipe didn’t suffer at all. I also doubled the cumin, coriander and turmeric to 1t. Used only 1t. of dried chili flakes (like the kind you put on pizza) and the dish was ‘hotter’ than expected but we loved it (just a warning to some). Served with Nigella seeds (they even sell them at Whole Foods now), lime, and as I had no cilantro, used pomegranate seeds (had one laying around) over sweet (sticky) rice. Think unsalted peanuts on top would be great too. Will be checking out your other recipes.Thanks!
Hi! Would lite coconut milk work? We are limited in our ability to find full fat coconut milk at the moment. Thanks!!
Hi Janet,
Lite coconut milk is fine! The stew will be a bit less rich, but will still taste good :)
-L
This soup is delicious. I am making for the second time in 2 weeks. Seriously good stuff!
I made this recipe with my Aunt. She loves it so much that she has been sharing the recipe and has asked me to share it with here again. I was alerted to this recipe on facebook.
Embarrassing disclosure – I had never cooked with fresh ginger before. Or coconut oil. Or made a dish with coconut milk that wasn’t a dessert. (I warned you it was embarrassing…)
So while prepping and chopping the ingredients, I’ll admit I was a little wary as to what was going to come out of the pot at the end.
But WOW this recipe was so delicious! And so easy! And flexible! For example, Kale? I don’t think we’ve ever – intentionally at least – purchased kale before, but I threw in some spinach we had lying around instead, as well as substituted green lentils for brown ones (do lentils come in brown? who knew?) and it was still fabulous!
Thank you for such a wonderful family dinner. I’m now inspired to attempt a bunch of your other yummy sounding recipes, even if they involve ingredients outside of my usual comfort zone. :)
This recipe is bananas! SO! DAMN! GOOD! I followed the directions exactly. My family four ate it all up – no leftovers. So, I made it three more times within seven days. What I have found, is if you manage to have any leftovers, it tastes even better day two.
Super good! Perfect for a cool spring day. The only thing I would do different is ‘brown’ the potatoes a bit more before adding the broth. Love the flavors!
I made this today in the slow cooker, it was delicious! I used red lentils as they were what I had. And I put in less liquid (somewhere around a half to two thirds of the recipe) as slow cooking doesn’t have the evaporation stovetop cooking does. But it was so good it was hard to stop at a single portion, it’s definitely going in my make again folder.
Made this for Easter dinner! It was easy and super yummy! I made farro to go along with it.
Adding a splash of soy sauce and a bit of brown sugar at the end really enhances the flavor!
If you have some extra time, a good hack is to roast the sweet potatoes (or use a winter squash) and add it at the end! Roasted carrots would work great as well.
Made this today, delicious! Had to have a 2nd helping. Thank-you so much for sharing this keeper recipe!
This stew is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site and is absolutely amazing. All of the recipes on here look great and I can’t wait to try more. Thank you for sharing.
Yum! Have made this twice now and love it, it’s gone into regular dinner rotation! I love that its a flexible recipe as well – I sub fennel in for the onion and only had 200ml cans of coconut milk and it was still 10/10!
Some really delicious recpies thank you
Oh my GOD. This stew. THIS STEW IS GOOD. It’s a 40 degree and rainy night where I am right now and this stew is EXACTLY what I needed so warm, comforting and delicious. 11/10
Thank You Nate, I cannot wait to try this.
This is delicious. Anybody have experience with freezing it?
I made this last night and it was delicious!
Can it be made in an Instant Pot?
I made it in an IP with a 9 minute cook time and quick release. The sweet potatoes were too soft for me, so next time I will try 8 minutes.
This soup is definitely being added to our list of favorite foods! It’s delicious. BONUS: The house smells AMAZING! Ty!!
Another FABULOUS meal from you, Laura! This is really delicious and feels so healthy. I made it exactly as written except I added a little homemade red curry paste. So great as always!! Thanks for being such a reliable source of delicious recipes!!
Really tasty and super easy. I wanted the same color as the photo, so I added some achiote. Must serve with vegan roti:https://holycowvegan.net/khasta-parathaparotta/
I have never before been this excited about a soup! I’ve shared the recipe with everyone I know. My husband doesn’t like lentils or sweet potatoes, and even he liked it. One question: those look like yams in the photos, not sweet potatoes? I used sweet potatoes and canned lentils (all I had, so put them in near the end, since they didn’t need to cook), and then used green onions and garlic olive oil to make it more FODMAP friendly, and it was delicious! I also used my immersion blender to mash things up a bit. Even better the next day with bread and a bit of cheese mixed in (sounds weird; tasted amazing).
Oh my this is really fantastic. I ised ore cooked brown lentils. I was hoping my stew would be that wonderful orange color but mine is green!!
It still tastes great!
Questions:
1. I would like just the tiniest bit of heat-what could I use other than chili flakes?
2. What kind of bread is that in the photo?
Thanks!
You could simply reduce the amount of chili flakes or even use a dash of hot sauce instead to bring the heat level down! The bread is a quick little flatbread that I made with pizza dough. Just flattened little circles of it and fried it in a bit of oil.
-L
I used fresh Thai chilis in mine and it was perfect. I’d recommend grounding them to release the oils.
Made this with pumpkin instead of sweet potato. Tasted amazing but looked like complete mush. How did you get yours to look so pretty?
Just had it for lunch at Jenns. Bloody Yumoooooo. Going to make some tonight to munch on and for the freezer.
Thanks to Jen.
Petina.
can I use French lentils instead, or will they turn to mush?
You can use French lentils! They will be great, just not as “meaty” as the brown ones. They won’t turn to mush in the allotted cooing time in the recipe.
-L
Hi
I made this with all fresh organic ingredients i followed the recipe to a tee it tasted amazing i will be making this again and again, i found it a bit brownish in colour rather than the orange (apart from the sweet potato of course) i may add a little more tumeric next time and could you use light coconut milk?
Michelle
Hi I just made this Sweet Potato with lentils and Coconut milk. Very Tasty, I left the chili out as my body is both Chili and Tomato Intolerant. What I tend to use is Smoked Sweet Paprika as an alternative. The recipe leaves itself open to many good variations. I happen to believe we are only limited by our own imagination. So thanks for the opportunity to enjoy a Great meal. Regards Ian. jw.org
Absolutely delicious!!!! A home run!!!! I added a cinnamon stick and 4 cloves to the onions once they cooked down—and carrots and spinach—and used an immersion blender at the end for a few moments. It would have been superb without my doctoring! Definitely, a go to — even in the hot summer!
I’m making this for the second time tonight. Excellent combination of flavors. I didn’t have kale, so I substituted spinach the first time, and tonight I did a mix of arugula and spinach. I also used green lentils because that’s what I haev on hand. Excellent – so tasty, satisfying, and healthy. Thank you for the recipe!
Wow Laura! Look at your new website! Very exciting! it looks great and inspires me to dive into all of it, all over again! :) I think this is the 4th rendition I’ve seen since being your fan, well done and I hope it works really well for you and your adoring audience! Happy Tuesday.
This soup is seriously one of the best things I have ever eaten. I have made pots to take to several friends after surgeries, when ill, and have made a few pots for myself. This recipe is an A+
Oh I also add curry powder to this. Amazing!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. The only change I made was to use frozen spinach instead of the kale. We will make this again and again, perfectly seasoned and so healthy. This may seem trivial but I appreciate that your recipes can be printed using only one sheet of paper, so many sites format their recipes as to require too many sheets of paper to print. Thanks again for this recipe and so many others we have enjoyed over the time I have been following you.
Hi, can you please update the recipe and note that the spices and combination of ingredients are heavily influenced by Indian and Asian cuisine? I’m sure it tastes great because it’s basically curry. Please attribute all of your recipes where applicable.
Thanks!
THIS is one of the BEST things I have ever tasted. Hands down. I make this pretty much EVERY week. My teens even love it…. Which says a lot!
This is absolutely delicious and beautiful! Thank you for this lovely recipe. The only change I made was instead of beans I put orzo pasta. I will make it again.
This recipe was absolutely amazing! So tasty and comforting! Thank you! As a family we are trying to eat healthier and eat more vegetarian so happy to get yummy recipes. Thank you for sharing.
This is super yummy. I used Swiss chard instead of kale and pureed half of the sweet potato mixture before adding the greens and coconut milk because I like creamy soups. I added in half a can of garbanzo beans at the end instead of using lentils, since lentils are a bit hard on my stomach. The flavours are delicious. Thank you!
hello – would this freeze well?
Hi Debbie,
I think it would freeze great if you left the kale out. Then, upon reheating, you can just add chopped kale to the pot and let it wilt right before you’re serving it.
-L
This stew is so good! I replaced a small amount of the sweet potato with chunks of carrot and used green lentils instead of brown, just because that was what I had. I also replaced most of the kale with collards – I just put the collards in earlier as the stew simmered since they take longer to cook. I really liked it with the collards, actually – I’d probably use them again over kale or do a combination of both. The collards come out really silky, which is nice.
i was thinking of serving a simple green salad with this. Maybe an arugula one? Any suggestions?
Something light and peppery like an arugula salad would be amazing. Maybe simply dressed with olive oil and lemon juice with some thin slices of apple and fennel for extra freshness? The stew skews towards spicy and rich; so a light, fresh, and peppery salad would be an ideal pairing I think.
-L
Wow! Just delicious
I didn’t have kale such I added some fresh green beans hit the colour and added bonus of a bit of crunch
Thanks for sharing!
Looks yummy Is it possible to get the recipe for that also yummy-looking bread?
This looks amazing!!
Could I substitute chickpeas for the lentils? Would the cooking time be the same?
Hi Amanda,
You could substitute COOKED chickpeas in this recipe 100%. Just add them along with the sweet potatoes. Dried chickpeas or even chickpeas soaked overnight would not be a recommended substitution for this recipe. They would require a lot more liquid and a much longer cooking time.
-L
yum! This was so good! Spicy and sweet… quick to make and easy to find substitutes (added chickpeas that needed to be used up and frozen green beans because I had no kale). Made me happy today :)
This is one of the most delicious stews I have ever eaten! We followed the recipe, though have a few kids who can’t handle chili. We served Trader Joe’s zhoug, pepitas, and cilantro on the side, and it was so delicious. We whipped up our own version of gf/vegan flatbread to go alongside, and YUM! Definitely going on our list of favorites.
This was super delicious. Did not change a thing.
Hi! I was just wondering if I should use canned lentils or dried lentils for this recipe?
Hi Christa,
We use dry lentils in this recipe!
-L
I have made this every week for a month now. I love it, and so does the family. I take a big container to work so I can have a bowl for lunch a few times each week. Also love the kalonji/nigella seeds as garnish!
I just made this today for lunch. It’s soooo good, I will make it again soon and double it to make sure there’s left overs. The flavors are delicious. I used black lentils because it’s what I had in the pantry. Used baby bok choy leaves, because it’s what I had in the fridge. I’m sure they didn’t influence the flavor in any negative way. Anther great recipe from this site!!!!
Made this for dinner tonight and it is DELICIOUS!!!! Pure unadulterated comfort food! Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe with us!
So far I’ve made the vegetable stock found in the link above, which is wonderful, however it only made 4 cups instead of 8. Is this to be expected? Judging by the comments below I can’t wait to make the stew. I wish it would get colder in San Diego for a couple days so the stew could warm me as described!
Hi Eileen,
It sounds like the stock reduced a bit extra, but that’s okay and a natural process with stock-making. Sometimes when my vegetable stock concentrates a bit, I will make up the deficit with extra water and it’s still delicious.
-L
just made this, it’s great! really flavorful. i imainge it would be even better if i had all the toppings and my own veggie broth, but the jarred stuff worked well enough. also just dumped in a bag of frozen kale as i didn’t have any fresh.
5 stars! This soup is delicious, and easy to make.The only change I made was to increase the amount of spices. It’s definitely a recipe I will make again and again. It’s substantial enough for a warm meal on a cold winter day. …yum!!! Thanks!
This recipe is so good! Will definitely make again.
This looks wonderful! Wondering what you would recommend for a crock pot? Maybe 4 hours on high 6 hours on low ?
Oh my goodness when I saw your beautiful picture I wanted to jump in! SO delicious, warming and cozy. So looking forward to a bowl of it!
love it!
seriously the best. in regular rotation for us now!!
Hello ! Your recipe looks fantastic ! But I have a question : Should I cook the lentilles and the sweet potato before to put them in the pot ? Or should I put them in as you said and put some water so they can be cooked ?
Thanks for your answer !
Hi Marine,
The sweet potatoes and lentils cook as the stew simmers. No need to pre-cook! You can follow the recipe as it is written.
-L
One of the most delicious soups/stews I’ve ever made. This was so flavourful and delicious, not to mention really easy to make.
sooooo freaking good. so often online recipes fail, this did not. i added jalapeño cuz i didn’t have chilli and used chard instead of kale. sooooo freaking good
SO good!! The perfect stew to warm you up on a cold winter night. Love the spicy ginger and pepper flakes with the creamy coconut and sweet potatoes! Also I used 3/4 cup of lentils instead of 1/2 cup because I like lentils. :) Cannot recommend this recipe enough!
Have made several times since posted with Kale and Rainbow Chard. Shared recipe with a friend. Always delicious – whoever makes it. Thank you for an easy and satisfying recipe.
Really flavorful. Thanks for posting!
I make this when I want to comfort myself and convince carnivores.
My friend group has vegetarians and GF people and we made this yesterday.. it was SO tasty. Thank you <3
Can I substitute the sweet potato for butternut squash ?
Hi Debbie!
Butternut squash substitutes beautifully here.
-L
Very flavorful! Thanks for posting it!
While this is an incredibly delicious dish (we loved it) I followed the measurements and directions to a T and it looks nothing like the photo. Did you use extra coconut milk? Just confused how to achieve your bright yellow and creamy broth. Thanks again this! It does taste amazing.
What can i use instead of coconut milk? i’m not sure if it allowed for my pregnant wife.
Made this tonight and it was perfect. So delicious. Doubled it for leftovers and so glad I did!
Oh, such a great idea for a soup. I will surprise my pregnant wife with that recipe :). I love sweet potatoes and I never thought that I can use them for soup. I always prepare them baked or fried. Thanks for the idea, I’ll let you know about the results. Again thank you so much.
Oh no! Meant to put 5 stars. Can you edit?! I’m so sorry!
Used neutral oil and added no garnish. Otherwise followed the recipe to a T. Came out perfect. Will absolutely make again.
This was so delicious… I love sweet potatoes and coconut. Very hearty and healthy. Will definitely make it again.
This is my favorite. I used tuscan kale. So much nicer than regular kale.
This was delicious! I will make this again!
This is delicious, thank you! A new favourite.
I made this last night and a friend made it the night before. We both agree that it tasted fantastic but which that it was richer and more orangey colored like the photo above. I know I followed the recipe exactly but still found it to be watery. Any thoughts on how I could correct that for next time? But over all very yummy. Today I think I will make some rice and then pour the stew over that.
Hi Rebecca,
You can subtract about 1.5 cups of the vegetable stock and double the amount of coconut milk if you’d like this recipe to be richer.
-L
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it!! I went a bit heavier on the spices and it was delicious and filling. I’m definitely adding it to my bookmarks.
I made this tonight except with a BIG bunch of kale m+ double the spices and it came out super tasty. Definitely adding this to my weekly recipes, thank you!
This was so delicious! I added some carrots. Very very good. Thank you!
This was so delicious!! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers.
This was so flavourful and filling – I ate it five days in a row last week without getting sick of it, and saved the last portion in the freezer for a future night when I want a comforting and healthy meal. I did find it quite spicy, so next time I wouldn’t use the full amount of chili flakes, but the coconut milk helped to balance it out.
WOW this was so easy and soooo good. It is also very forgiving…I ran out of coconut milk so used less and subbed spinach for the kale and it was still fantastic. Thank you!
So easy to make and truly delicious! We added kale inside the soup and topped w homemade kale chips!
This is fabulous! It’s delicious, easy and perfect for the cold and dreary month of lockdown January. I can’t wait to try the others.
I make this now every week. It’s absolutely delicious and easy.
This is so delish! I was out of chili flakes so I used sambal and it worked out well. Yum!! Thank you :)
Hii So Amazing! Hands down my favorite. Can this be frozen?
Hi Amanda,
This stew can be frozen! I would recommend adding the kale to it upon re-heating if you can, just to avoid that super overcooked grey-ish coloured kale :)
-L
Awesome! And so healthy for you, too. While I wish I had time to make homemade vegetable broth, I used vegetable bouillon. Still turned out great. I also used Trader Joe’s frozen ginger pieces.
I just made this! Woah, it’s so delicious. Thank you for sharing
Delicious! The only adjustments I’d suggest are: 1) soak lentils overnight before adding so they are soft, and 2) chop the kale small. That’s just my preference. Other than that, it’s a huge hit!
DELICIOUS. I make this once every 1-2 weeks now. Thank you!!! Also love using the same coconut milk/spices mix for other meals (like chicken etc) SO GOOD
Very good! Adding to my favorite soup list. Extra chili was perfect for me. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
This is a good recipe. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it calls for waaaaaaaay too much ginger! 2 inch piece of ginger renders the soup a ginger soup. It’s pretty much all you can taste. Totally dominates all other flavors. Proportions matter when cooking. If I make it again I would use one half to one third of the amount of ginger called for here.
Also 1/2 teaspoon of cumin is not nearly enough for soup of this size. It needs a teaspoon at least. One would normally see 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric for one teaspoon of cumin because turmeric can overpower with an unpleasant flavor. Again, proportions matter. I would do 1/4 teaspoon turmeric.
Completely disagree. The proportion was perfect. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric does not begin to overpower a big pot of soup. Ginger was just right too.
Wow – SO much better than i had expected. I never follow recipes and typically just use them as a guideline for flavor profiles but this one is truly a winner – delicious, great mouth feel, filling but light. I increased the amount of lentils just to make it more stew like and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you for putting this out there :)
I have made this many times for my family of 10 and it’s always been a hit!! It’s the type of food that is earthy, wholesome and warms your soul. I doubled the recipe and use a whole pack (500 g) of Trade Joe’s precooked steamed lentils instead of dried lentils. Because I use cooked lentils, I reduced the amount of vegetable stock to 4-5 cups — depending on the consistency and richness you want. I also omitted the chili flakes so that it’s not spicy for kiddos. Thanks so much for this lovely recipe!!
Incredible mixture of tastes! Love it!
Delicious! As a main course I would double the amount of lentils.
This was delicious! Thank you.
Did anyone break down the nutritional value? Sounds delicious.
Hey Laura,
I loved this meal so much. Accidentally I bought all the ingredients at the farmers market. I had to use black lentils, after I added the kale, the color turned green (pantry refill will be done). We only have a small portion left. I will add this recipe to my staples.
I adore this recipe!! This curry is sooo good– the flavors are incredible (love the spice), it’s warm and comforting, super healthy, and also pretty easy to make. Definitely a keeper :)
I made this last night. The flavors of this dish absolutely blew me away! One of the best dishes I have made in awhile! I swapped brown lentils for red lentils, used onion powder instead of onion & used vegan ghee instead of coconut oil. The result was truly sooo satisfying. Thank you so much for the marvelous recipe.
This was so so delicious! I kept my soup vegan and added shredded chicken for my partner. Thank you for sharing this recipe :))))
OMGAWD this was GOOD.
Best soup I have ever had…..hands down
This is *amazing* for real. Just made it for lunch and damn near ate the entire thing.
Laura, this was incredible!! So full of flavor, filling and easy to make. We all loved it! You’re a star, thank you!!
this stew is literally stupendous. I’m a potato girl, sweet potato is just not my thing, never has been but my husband asked if I could make use of the sweet potatoes that keep persisting in our spring CSA boxes for dinner. I made this tonight. perfection. comforting, balanced, interesting, snd not too sweet — more gingery actually. Standing ovation from down here in Louisiana!
I sent this to my boyfriend to make for dinner. He claimed it as the best thing he’s ever made. Great recipe! It was delicious
This has become one of my favourite recipes to make. It is absolutely delicious!! It also freezes really well.
Can I make this three days ahead of time and store in refrigerator?
Hi Maryellen!
You can make this 3 days ahead of time. I would recommend leaving out the kale and cilantro garnish though. Just add the kale when you reheat the stew and simmer until it’s bright green and tender. Reserve the cilantro for garnishing when you’re ready to serve.
-L
I made this yesterday and we really enjoyed it. I had no kale but some bok choy in the freezer. Also, leftover lentils in the freezer. So, at the end I added the thawed lentils and bok choy. I liked adding the cilantro for a counter point to the sweet potatoes. Definitely an addition to our rotation. Thank you.
Yum
So easy to make and SO, SO delicious! This soup has become a staple for me & feels so healthy but still yummy and indulgent
An immediate favorite – quick, delicious, healthy
Just…wow. Delicious dish. Thank you!
Would butternut squash be a good substitute for sweet potatoes? And if so do you think it would cook similarly or should I roast first then add.
Hi Amanda,
Butternut squash would be great in this stew. It might actually cook faster than sweet potatoes.
-L
Thank you for the recipe. Mine turned out yummy but it doesn’t look as aesthetically appealing as yours ( it’s more yellow as opposed to red). How do you give it that colour.
I made this tonight but tweaked a bit like so many others. Substituted delicata squash for sweet potatoes as well as spinach for kale. Doubled the spices as a personal preference for spice and used light coconut milk to save calories. I finished it with a good squeeze of fresh lime and a handful of fresh cilantro. Excellent and super easy -thinking about adding some tofu next time to add more protein.
Hello, this looks amazing ! Is there an instant pot recipe available ?
Hi, is this
Half cup dry lentils? Do they need to be soaked.overnight? Or am I just adding half cup of dry lentils to recipe?
Hi Rachel,
You are adding dry lentils to the recipe. They cook as the stew simmers. You are welcome to soak them overnight to speed up this process a bit, although the sweet potatoes also take a bit of time.
-L
Smashing success with this one tonight! Subbed butternut squash and red lentils and immersion blended a little to cream it all up a bit. Added peas, served with rice and naan. Husband was worshipping me and 6-yr-old asked for seconds! Thank you once again, Laura!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! So easy, creamy, comforting and flavorful. Perfect for fall! :)
Made this stew a couple of days ago. It was delicious. I plan to make it again soon
This is one of our go to’s in the fall and winter. Simple ingredients and amazing flavors! Makes your house smell amazing too. Laura can do no wrong!
What Is the calorie count per serving?
Hi Nick,
I don’t provide calorie counts on my recipes. Thankfully, there are lots of free and easy to use nutrition calculators available online, such as My Fitness Pal.
-L
Sooooo good!!
This soup is amazing! To add another layer complexity and texture, add some sesame oil toward the end, and garnish with sesame seeds. Also, consider a swirls of cashew crema!
Thanks, your soups are ridiculously good.
Loved this recipe! I found that it was a bit too liquidy by the end, even after reducing, therefore I would recommend either using a bit less stock OR blending half of it (so you still have some whole sweet potato and lentils). I blended half and it was delicoius!
This was amazing! I was so sad when the leftovers were gone. I didn’t have quite as much coconut milk on hand as was in the recipe, but I just made it with a bit less coconut milk and still loved it. I had it with some steamed rice and was SO SATISFIED. Thanks for the pretty, delicious recipe!
This recipe is amazing! I really loved all the flavors, and it was perfect for a chilly day where I wasn’t feeling 100%. The only substitutes I did were red pepper flakes instead of chili pepper flakes, and green lentils instead of brown lentils. It has so many veggies, it definitely perked me up. Thank you for the recipe!
Do you have any alternatives for the coconut & coconut milk? I’m allergic to coconut. Thanks!
Hi there!
The coconut does provide a lot of our flavour here, but you could definitely use olive oil for the sautéing part. To replace the coconut milk, I would look to something rich like an unsweetened cashew milk or light cream if you consume dairy.
-L
I made this tonight after seeing your Instagram post yesterday…it was fantastic! This will definitely become a winter staple meal. I made some basmati rice which I stirred in upon serving. A perfect dinner for a cold evening!
This was amazing!!!! I did 1 tsp of red Chili flakes and even for me who is a spice-a-holic it was pretty spicy but the flavors were still to die for!!!!
Wonderful recipe!! Turned out so delicious. Thank you!
For how easy this soup is to make, it has an amazing flavor! The extra chili flakes added at the end make a big difference, imo. This soup is also very easy to double and freeze. Highly recommend anyone try this. :)
Loved this for meal prep! Must do again to share with my carnivorous husband.
Love it!!!
Super delicious! Easy, and I mean really easy, spicy. One can use a lot of imagination to adjust the recipe for herself, awesome. Awesome :)
I’m so pleased with this recipe. It’s a hearty, flavorful soup that I’ll add to my regular rotation, for sure. I didn’t have any cilantro, but I’ll be sure to add it next time. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Wow! this was delicious. made it exactly as written with only one substitution-used box choy instead of kale. perfect for a cold, winter day.
I want to make this but am off Sweet Potatoes for awhile. Can you substitute with Winter Squash?
Hi Frances,
Any diced winter squash will work great here.
-L
I made with frozen diced root vegetables and frozen diced sweet potatoes, (Walmart) also frozen diced onions. No Kale but spinach was a great substitute because I love it. A few drops of lime at the end and served over a cup of Minute Rice Multigrain Medley, brown is good too. I might add some Broccoli Slaw on top next time. Great recipe! Easy to add and play with. Thank You!
This soup recipe is so delicious and healthy; definitely worth five stars! Love this for a cold winters day with fresh homemade bread! Substituted red lentils for the brown and spinach for kale. Both substitutions worked out fine. Will definitely make again! Super easy to make.
We loved this! Easy and delicious! Thank you!
Mad good. I love this. I didn’t have coriander but it seemed to be fine, and used a combo of crushed red pepper flakes, ancho chili and cayenne. I didn’t add any salt until the lentils are done cooking because I think salt affects how lentils cook. added 3 dashes of graham Marsala seasoning after the first 30 minutes of stewing since I wanted more flavor, and I let it all stew for a lot longer after adding the coconut milk
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! Even my very particular Indian husband (who initially said the recipe sounded like a disaster) gave the dish his highest compliment that it was “restaurant quality.”
I love this recipe!! This will be a regular in my meal rotations.. thank you
I never leave comments. But I always make the recipe as listed the first time. As I was preparing it, I was thinking about all the things I would change when I made it the next time. Well I am here to tell you I will make it exactly as the recipe says next time. It was spectacular and it is all gone already…
Guess its time to make it again, exactly as written. Thanks
My new favourite, cozy, warming recipe! Followed the recipe to the T and it was incredible. Perfectly sweet, spicy, and with some fresh lime and cilantro on top it hits the spot. Thank you for creating the most delicious recipes
We love this recipe! We doubled the recipe for a dinner with friends and have a bit leftover. How long can this be stored in the fridge?
Hi Angelica,
This stew will keep up to 5 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
-L
Love this filling, pantry friendly meal! I made it with brown rice to stretch it and its a hit. That broth is incredible. Thank you Laura!
I’m wondering how far in advance this can be made and/or if it freezes well? I have to make it for an event and would love to make it 5 days in advance….
The nigella seeds make this dish in my opinion! Worth tracking down for sure. I am not one who revisits recipes often, but this is a new staple. Everyone I share this with asks for the recipe. So good!
Love this!
Honestly, this is our favorite recipe! We love love love this soup and have made your recipe so many times. We make homemade naan to serve with it and also add a dollop of plain yogurt at the end for extra creaminess. This is heaven
[…] Creamy Ginger Sweet Potato Lentil Stew (I use lite coconut milk.) […]
Amazing! I made this stew in advance to have while camping with a group of 12 people, including 7 adults and 5 kids. I made it on a Friday and we ate it that Sunday, reheated over a campfire in a cast iron dutch oven. I left out the kale until it was fully heated through. The reviews were all 5 stars, even the kids loved it! Not a scrap left over. I’ll be making it again tonight for dinner, possibly over some rice. Thank you for sharing!
Beautiful. Even used a little chili, which I usually don’t. Had no kale but cabbage which needed a little longer.
Omg this is delicious an very easy to make
My Sister made this for me… it was amazing!!
Absolutely delicious!
[…] that sunset hue and all of those vegetables that feels good to even look at! Take a peak at this Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk one and my Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Chowder. I know that this stew has a ton of chopping and […]
Delicious! Made it in the Instant Pot, High Pressure for 15 min, coconut milk and spinach added after natural pressure release. Will reduce water to 3 cups for IP cooking next time. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Heidi!
Thanks for letting us know how you made it in the Instant Pot! Cannot wait to try it this way.
-L
So good!! Highly recommend!
Really enjoyed this – warming earthy & spicy flavours and full of goodness. This will become a staple for us, particularly during the Winter, maybe changing up the root veg depending on what we have. Thanks for a great recipe
This was amazing. So warming, so filling, so delicious. I used 2 medium to large sweet potatoes and chard. The recipe is a keeper and will help us get through the winter for sure. Can’t wait for lunch leftovers at work tomorrow. Thanks for making my Sunday so cozy!!
This is the second time making and it is absolutely one of my top recipes for incredibly delicious and ultra comforting. Thank you.
I usually go for recipes that have a shorter time estimate but this was so worth the extra time. Honestly probably the best thing I’ve made in a month. It’s easy and even if you don’t execute it perfectly it’s delicious. I halved the recipe, used a not super heavy bottomed pot, and the spices were burning before I added the sweet potato(which I prob made <1” cubed) & lentils, so I felt like I had to add more coconut oil & spices. I also used green lentils, not brown. I think they cook a little faster, or I just struggle to find an actual simmer. The lentils and sweet potato are falling apart in mine but it’s fucking delicious and comforting and I’m saving the recipe to be used many times I’m sure!
Delicious recipe!!!! We didn’t use any lime or cilantro and only had pre cooked lentils, but still such a big hit. The heat was such a great tip and made it. This recipe is worth navigating all the frickin ads I promise.
I have made this numerous times and it’s the single best recipe I’ve ever made! Thank you so much for sharing with the world :D
Can I give this 6 stars?? It is delicious as written but can be modified a bit for restricted diets I served it as a first course for a recent dinner party and everyone raved! Thank you for this healthy, sumptuous dish!
The flavors of the ingredients in this soup are so delicious together. I make this probably once a month. Serving it to company this week.
I find that 4 cups of vegetable broth is a little too liquidly for my taste. So I only use 3 1/4 cups. It tastes best with full fat coconut milk. I have used the lite one when it is just for me.
Would this be suitable for freezing?
If not how long can it be kept in the fridge?
Hi Gemma,
You can definitely freeze this soup! I recommend leaving the kale and cilantro out if you’re doing that as they can get a bit soggy once thawed and reheated. The finished soup can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
-L
Followed this to a tee and there ended up being way too much liquid (was a soup) and very bland flavour. Maybe because I’m used to traditional dal…but this was a miss.
I was skeptical at first, didn’t seem like it had enough seasoning . Boy, was I wrong!!! Minimal ingredients and maximum flavor. Inexpensive and came together so quickly!!! I’ll be making this again.
This soup is DELICIOUS. It is both bursting with flavor and gentle on the stomach. It feels so nourishing and is wonderful to make for loved ones when they’re sick. It has become a staple in the colder months for me. Thank you, Laura!
Delicious! This recipe was so good, so comforting on a chilly winter night. The spice is perfect!
Amazing flavor! I was so impressed how delicious and well balanced this was. I was low on lentils so I added a quarter cup of quinoa and extra half cup broth. I only had a red onion and spinach so swapped in those. I added some chopped broccolini for more greens. Let it all sit for 30 min once done to develop. Perfect! I could eat this every week!