This vegan mixed vegetable curry with red lentils is a flavorful veggie-packed meal that can be made in just over 30 minutes. It's perfect for meal prep lunches or as a quick weeknight dinner!
Red lentils and mixed vegetables simmer together in coconut milk and aromatic seasonings in this delicious vegan red lentil curry. This recipe is super versatile and is a great template use for any variety of fresh or frozen mixed vegetables.
I love making curries year-round, but they are especially comforting in the fall and winter months. This competes with my vegan chickpea curry to be my go-to vegetable curry recipe, and despite the long ingredient list, it is surprisingly easy to make.
If you prefer making curry in the Instant Pot, check out my recipe for Instant Pot red lentil curry or my Instant Pot chickpea curry.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Balanced: Made with brown rice, chickpeas, carrots, peas, spinach, and a whole lot of Indian-inspired seasonings.
- Rich and flavorful: Coconut milk creates a rich and almost buttery base for this curry. It's seasoned with fresh garlic and ginger and a blend of Indian spices.
- Nutritious: Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats and vegetables. I use onion, peas, and carrots as the main vegetables, but you can easily add different mixed vegetables based on what you have on hand.
- Versatile: This curry is perfect for meal prep lunches, as a family dinner served with buttery naan, and even rolled up into burritos.
Ingredients
- Coconut milk: Full fat coconut milk makes this vegetable curry extra creamy. If you are looking for a lighter option, reduced fat or lite coconut milk also work.
- Red lentils: Not to be confused with green or brown lentils, red lentils cook quickly and lose their shape easily, whereas green and brown lentils keep their shape and take longer to cook. Yellow, orange, and red lentils all work in this recipe.
- Chickpeas: Adding a can of chickpeas is an inexpensive way to stretch this recipe further while also contributing fiber, protein, and important nutrients like iron and manganese. I also like the texture that chickpeas give to an otherwise soft meal.
- Spices and aromatics: Minced ginger and garlic with diced onion makes the base of this recipe. A variety of spices, including Garam masala and curry powder, create a warming and flavorful dish. We will also use ground cumin and salt to emphasize the flavors.
- Vegetables: This curry is veggie-packed and the fiber in all those vegetables makes this recipe very filling. Add frozen green peas and chopped carrots for color and texture and stir in a few handfuls of chopped kale or spinach for a source of plant-based iron.
FAQ
No. Lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking. Red lentils cook very quickly in simmering water. However, you should always thoroughly rinse and sort lentils before cooking them.
This recipe works best with red lentils. Sometimes red lentils are labeled as orange lentils, which also work in this curry.
Brown, green, and French green lentils do not work because they have different water-to-lentil ratios, they take longer to cook, and they aren't as soft as red lentils. Brown lentils are better in this shepherd's pie style lentil casserole and lentil meatloaf.
This recipe works well with most frozen mixed vegetable blends. For example, green beans, broccoli, and cauliflower are all good options. Add at the same time as the frozen peas.
Servings ideas
- Rice: You can't go wrong with curry and a serving of rice. I usually go for short-grain brown rice for the nutty flavor, but basmati or jasmine rice also goes well here.
- Burritos: I actually originally intended to use this recipe for vegetarian burritos, but I liked it so much on its own that I skipped the burrito idea. If turning into burritos, serve similarly to my curry chickpea wraps.
- Naan: Serve with garlic or regular naan. Even pita bread works in a pinch.
- Toppings: Don't skip the lime wedges and fresh chopped cilantro with each serving of vegetable curry, it drives the flavors home.
Storage and freezing
- Leftovers: Let leftover red lentil curry cool before transferring to a closed container. Keep leftovers refrigerated for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat individual servings in the microwave. To reheat on the stovetop, simply place the curry in a pot over medium heat. Simmer until heated through, stirring as needed.
- Freezing: Curry freezes well. Let it cool before transferring to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More vegetarian meal ideas
Did you try this recipe? You can leave a star rating in the recipe card or a review in the comments below. Or check out my cookbook and keep up to date with my YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, or newsletter!
Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Cozy Peach Kitchen
Mixed Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry brown rice see note
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ cup diced yellow onion from ½ yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped carrots from ~2 carrot sticks
- 4-5 cloves minced garlic adjust to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 13.5 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 cups dry red lentils
- 13.5 ounce can coconut milk
- 3 cups vegetable broth choose reduced sodium if possible
- 3 loosely packed cups spinach or kale
- lime wedges and chopped cilantro for serving
Instructions
- If serving with brown rice, prepare according to package instructions.
- Heat oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or medium stockpot over medium heat. Once hot, add diced onions and spirnkle with salt. Saute until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add carrots, garlic, and ginger, sauteing for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the garlic is golden nd aromatic.
- Add the curry powder, cumin, and garam masala. Cook another 30 seconds to bloom the spices, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add the frozen green peas, chickpeas, red lentils, coconut milk and vegetable broth. Add any other fresh or frozen mixed vegetables at this point, if using. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat and cover with a lid. Simmer until the red lentils are cooked, about 12-15 minutes.
- Once cooked, stir in the spinach or kale. Taste for salt. Serve over rice with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
- Refrigerate leftovers for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Ginger: As needed, 1 teaspoon ground ginger can be used in place of 1 inch of fresh ginger. Add at the same time as the cumin and garam masala.
- Coconut milk: For a lighter option, use lite or reduced fat coconut milk in place of full-fat coconut milk.
- Curry powder can be mild, medium, or hot. There are a lot of different varieties available. Choose based on your heat preference.
- Other vegetables: Frozen mixed vegetable blends work well here. Or use frozen cauliflower, broccoli, etc. for more veggies.
- For a complete meal, serve with your choice of brown rice, basmati rice, or naan. You can also make burritos by adding 1 cup of cooled curry to a large tortilla with spinach and sliced bell peppers.
Manon says
Excellent flavouring and texture, love lots of veggies. I added yellow pepper
Cassidy Reeser says
Wonderful, thanks for the review! 🙂
Liliana says
Yum, just made it without the chickpeas and twice young green peas. Delicious.
Cassidy Reeser says
Glad you liked it, thanks for the review! 🙂
Klaudia McMahon says
Fabuloudly delicious, super easy & loaded with protein! Doesn't get better than this for a weeknight dinner 😄
Cassidy Reeser says
Wonderful! Thanks so much for the review!
Joan says
So good!