(Vegan) Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils

There are (almost) countless recipes for lentils on this blog: made in the Crock-Pot, on the stovetop, with green lentils, red lentils, spicy, less spicy, creamy, etc. You name it.
Still, in my book, there are never enough recipes for lentils.


Lentils are a terrific food, their unique combination of lean protein, complex carbs, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants help replenish nutrients that I’ve used up during exercise, and heal from the wear and tear workouts put on the body.
Lentils with rice and avocado is one of my favorite post-exercise go-to meals.
In addition, since a lot of people (including myself) prefer to avoid gluten, lentils which are naturally gluten-free, become nutrient-rich staples, that may help prevent nutritional gaps.
Lentils are also affordable and readily available — you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg, or go to a gourmet or specialty store to find them.


Today I’m giving you these incredible Crock-pot Curried Red Lentils.
The procedure couldn’t be simpler: blend onions, garlic, ginger, and all the spices until a paste forms; combine it in the slow cooker with lentils, tomatoes, and vegetable broth. Put the lid on and forget about it. When the lentils are cooked, mix in the coconut milk, and voilà the dish is ready. That’s about it.


The lentils are creamy, delectable, and wrapped in a warming mix of spices.
As with all slow cooker recipes, the flavors blend slowly, and the curry cooks to a beautiful finish.
I suggest playing around with this recipe: you can increase the amount of heat by adding more cayenne pepper. You can also use more or less vegetable broth depending on how thick you want the lentils to be.
If you find yourself in frequent time crunches I suggest you double the recipe and make a big batch of these on Sunday then serve them throughout the busy workweek. You can thank me later


(Vegan) Crock-Pot Curried Red Lentils                                                                                         Print this recipe!


Ingredients
Serves 8

2 cups red lentils, picked and rinsed
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1-inch piece ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
½ teaspoon sweet paprika
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
3 to 4 cups vegetable broth*
1 (14 oz) can full-fat coconut milk

*I generally use 4 cups as I prefer a more liquid texture, if you prefer a denser one use 3 cups instead.

Directions

Place onion, garlic, ginger, and all the spices in the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Pulse until a smooth paste forms. You may need to stop the food processor a few times to scrape the sides to ensure everything gets blended.
Lightly grease the bowl of the slow cooker, add lentils, spice paste, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth.
Give a good stir and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours, until the lentils are soft and the flavors come together.
When cooked, add coconut milk, give a good stir, take a taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Serve!

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 260 calories, 7 grams of fat, 34 grams of carbs, and 17 grams of protein.