I love cooking with lentils because you could throw basically any vegetables and spices into a pot with them, and there’s a 98% chance they’ll turn out well! This recipe is great to make for a week of meal prep or for a large group dinner. Also, if you have lots of extra leftover rice, this is definitely the recipe for you.
They’re naturally gluten free, dairy free, and vegan – also super high in protein! I highly recommend whisking together the ingredients for the yogurt sauce to drizzle on top when the lentils are finished cooking.
I recommend tasting as you cook and adjusting the seasonings as needed. Now, let’s get cooking!
One-Pot Creamy Coconut Milk Lentil Bowl
Delicious lentils perfect to serve over rice and meal prep for the week!
Equipment
- 1 Large pot
- Chef's knife
- Cutting Board
- Mixing spoon
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- Neutral oil (for frying)
- 2 cups Green or red lentils (washed)
- 3 cups Water (sub vegetable or chicken broth)
- 1 large Tomato (chopped)
- 4 stalks Celery (chopped)
- 2 large Carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 1/2 Yellow onion (diced)
- 3-4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 Jalapeño (seeded and chopped, optional)
- 1 can Full fat coconut milk (16 oz)
Spices:
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 1 tbsp Chili powder
- 2 tsp Ginger powder
- 3-4 Bay leaves
- Salt/pepper
Yogurt Sauce (optional):
- 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
- 1/2 large Lemon (juiced)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Finely chop all veggies, heat olive oil over medium heat in a pot, and add celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and jalapeño to it.
- Add cumin, chili powder, and ginger powder to the veggies and fry for 5-7 minutes or until they are golden.
- Add tomatoes to pot and cook for 1-2 more mins.
- Add rinsed lentils into the pot with the amount of water listed on the package (My ratio was 1.5 cups of water:1 cup lentils). You can also use chicken or vegetable broth.
- Add bay leaves and cook the lentils covered on medium heat for 15-20 mins or until they are practically cooked (they should be fairly soft when they're done cooking).
- When they are almost completely cooked, add 1 can of coconut milk and stir. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 more mins.
- Serve with rice and top with parsley for dramatic effect! Drizzle with yogurt sauce if you’re feeling extra fancy.
Notes
Mix together yogurt sauce ingredients well and add more lemon juice to dilute if needed.
