This one-pot Vegan Lentil Curry is a cozy, flavor-packed meal made with vegetables, coconut milk and warming spices. It’s freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep or a meatless Monday dinner!

A bowl filled with rice and a lentil curry recipe, garnished with pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and lime wedges.

“My doctor actually gave me this recipe to help get me some nutrient dense meals and this has been so dang delicious! My 17 year even LOVES it! It is yummy!! Thank you for sharing your recipe!!”

—Tanesha

“Delicious and easy to pull together for a weeknight meal! A side of homemade naan bread goes well with it too. I can’t wait to swap in other veggies too, like sweet potatoes. The possibilities are endless!”

—Agnes

The Vegan Lentil Curry I Learned In Culinary School

The culinary school I went to focused on very classical French techniques. Before dawn, the Baking students would get started on all-butter croissants. At the same time, the students running the school’s restaurant would be roasting veal bones for stock, and the Breakfast & Pantry class was cracking eggs like it was an Olympic sport.

And in the middle of all of that was a chef instructor who ate a vegan, raw diet . . . at home. At school, he had to taste everything the students made, but he also made sure that each of us knew how to make at least a few vegan dishes before graduating.

On my rotation in his classroom, the assignment was the vegan lentil curry that I’m sharing with you today. It’s the kind of meatless meal that makes a Monday feel manageable, and so flavorful.

Why You Will Love This Lentil Curry Recipe

  • The multi-step cooking technique for this vegetable and lentil curry really shows you how easy it is to build flavor, with any type of ingredients.
  • With lentils being so affordable, it’s an economical option for feeding yourself or your family without compromising on flavor or nutrition.
  • It keeps well in the fridge or freezer, making it a great meal prep option. Cook up a big batch and portion it out for easy lunches throughout the week.
A wooden cutting board topped with ingredients, including dried legumes, carrot, garlic, lime, rice, broth, tomato paste, herbs and spices.

Curry Lentils Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

  • carrots – you’ll need two medium carrots for this vegan lentil curry recipe, or three small ones.
  • onion – we like regular ol’ white onion for this lentil vegetable curry, but a sweet yellow onion is great here, too.
  • garlic – this is essential to build flavor in a vegetarian lentil curry.
  • tomato paste – this adds acidity and color to this vegan lentil recipe.
  • curry powder – we like Madras curry powder (which is generally a mix of coriander, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and other warming spices).
  • ginger – grated fresh ginger is essential here (the dried powder just won’t be the same).
  • red pepper flakes – just a pinch, to add a little spice to this veg and lentil curry.
  • vegetable broth – if you’re not vegan or vegetarian, you can use chicken broth.
  • lentils – any color works for this curry lentil recipe; more on that later.
  • coconut milk – we like to use full-fat coconut milk to add richness to this dish. You can use light coconut milk but it won’t have the same creamy texture.
  • rice, pomegranate seeds, fresh mint, lime wedges – for serving and garnish. Fresh cilantro also works great!

How To Make Vegetarian Lentil Curry

A white Dutch oven filled with sauteed chopped carrot and onion.
  1. VEGGIES. Sauté the carrots and onion in oil (you can use olive oil or coconut oil) in a large pot until they begin to soften.
Two photos showing vegetables, tomato paste and spices being sauteed in a white Dutch oven.
  1. AROMATICS. Add the garlic, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, salt and red pepper flakes and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
A series of three photos showing lentils and broth being added to a white Dutch oven and simmered.
  1. SIMMER. Add the broth and lentils and heat to boiling. Cover the pot and reduce the heat. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the lentils, stirring occasionally.
Two photos showing coconut milk being added to a brown stew mixture and stirred in.
  1. COCONUT MILK. Stir in the coconut milk and cook uncovered until the mixture thickens a little bit.
A bowl filled with rice and curry lentils, garnished with pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and lime wedges.
  1. SERVE. Serve over brown or basmati rice, garnished with mint, lime wedges and pomegranate seeds.

Home Chef Tips For Lentil Vegetable Curry

  • You can use any variety of dried lentils for these vegetarian curry lentils. We’ve made this with brown, green, beluga and red lentils, and it turns out great each time.
  • Don’t skip the “cook the spices” step. That quick saute with the curry powder and tomato paste blooms the spices and deepens the flavor.
  • Cooking time may vary by a few minutes based on what kind of lentil you are using, so just test for doneness as the curry simmers and adjust cooking time accordingly. If you feel like you need to add more broth or water as the curry simmers, do it.

Curry Lentil Recipe Variations

  • SPICY – if you like heat, you can increase the amount of red pepper flakes, or add a bit of chopped jalapeno to this veggie lentil curry.
  • GREENS – we’ll often stir in an entire box of fresh baby spinach, or a bunch of leafy greens like chopped kale or Swiss chard at the end for a boost of green goodness.
  • SWEET POTATO – add a small diced sweet potato to the mix in Step 1 for extra fiber and nutrients.
  • PROTEIN BOOST – add chickpeas or cubed tofu to warm through at the end for an even heartier protein-packed curry.
A spoon lifting a scoop of a curry lentil recipe from a serving dish.

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How To Serve Vegetarian Curry Lentils

We like to serve this lentil and veg curry with white or brown rice, or even quinoa, to fill us up a bit more, but that’s up to you! It’s also a complete meal in a bowl even without the rice.

You can also serve this with a side of roti or naan bread for scooping and dunking!

A closeup of a spoon filled with vegetarian lentil curry.

Storage And Reheating

  • Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days. This recipe actually gets more flavorful the next day!
  • Reheat: On the stovetop over medium-low heat, or in the microwave at 50% power, until warmed through, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen the curry if needed.
  • Freeze: Chill and then freeze in an airtight container (leave a little room at the top for expansion) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. 
A bowl of vegan lentil curry.

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A bowl filled with rice and a lentil curry recipe, garnished with pomegranate seeds, mint leaves and lime wedges.

Curry Lentil Recipe

Author: Lori Yates
Yield: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
This one-pot Vegan Lentil Curry is a cozy, flavor-packed meal made with vegetables, coconut milk and warming spices. It's freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prep or a meatless Monday dinner!
4.7 from 7 ratings
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • ½ white onion chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups vegetable broth or stock
  • 1 cup dried lentils rinsed and drained (any variety, see Notes)
  • 1 can coconut milk 15 ounces
  • Prepared white or brown rice for serving (optional)
  • Fresh mint, lime wedges and pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  • In Dutch oven or other medium pot with tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add carrots and onion and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in garlic, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, salt and red pepper flakes. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  • Stir in broth and lentils; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 30 to 35 minutes or until most liquid is absorbed by lentils, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in coconut milk; increase heat to medium. Cook uncovered 5 minutes or until curry thickens slightly, stirring frequently.
  • Serve curry with rice and garnish with mint, lime wedges and pomegranate seeds, if desired.

Notes

You can use any variety of dried lentils for this curry. We’ve made it with brown, green and beluga lentils, and it turns out great each time. Cooking time may vary by a few minutes based on what kind of lentil you are using, so just test for doneness as the curry simmers and adjust cooking time accordingly.
Calories: 484kcal, Carbohydrates: 42g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 21g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 1971mg, Potassium: 931mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 5627IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 8mg
This website provides estimated nutrition information as a courtesy only. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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