Slow Cooker Lentil Curry

This Slow Cooker Lentil Curry with butternut squash, spinach and coconut milk is a delicious vegan recipe – serve with rice for a full meal!

Ingredients and substitutions

Olive oil – or another neutral cooking oil like avocado or canola oil.
Yellow onions – white onions or shallots would also work.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic cloves have the best flavor, but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
Butternut squash – use another winter squash like Hubbard or acorn squash, or another vegetable entirely like sweet potato.
Dry red lentils – you could also try dry green lentils.
Coconut milk – substitute for light coconut milk or even heavy cream.
Diced tomatoes – a can of crushed tomatoes would also be good here.
Turmeric – saffron is the best substitute for turmeric.
Curry powder – make your own using a blend of spices including ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, ginger, dry mustard, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne.
Chili powder – use a mixture of paprika, cayenne, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin instead.
Salt & pepper – to taste.
Spinach – stir in some kale or Swiss chard instead, or leave the greens out entirely.
Fresh cilantro and sesame seeds – to garnish.
Basmati rice – serve with any rice of your choice like brown rice or even quinoa.

How to make lentil curry in the slow cooker

Step 1: Add everything to the pot.

Add the olive oil, onions, garlic, butternut squash, lentils, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, turmeric, curry powder, chili powder, salt and pepper to the slow cooker in the order listed.

Step 2: Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.

Step 3: Make the rice.

While the curry is cooking, make the basmati rice in a rice cooker or on the stovetop.

Step 4: Serve and enjoy!

Once the curry is done cooking, stir in the spinach. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro, serve over rice and enjoy!

What to serve with lentil curry

Here are some of my favourite side dishes to serve with this lentil curry recipe:

Homemade naan or pita bread
Basmati rice, brown rice, coconut rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option
Steamed broccoli
Vegetable pakora

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you make lentil curry on the stovetop instead?

I haven’t tested this recipe on the stovetop, but it should be pretty easy to adapt. Try adding everything to a pot on the stovetop, bringing it to a boil and simmering until the squash and lentils are soft, about 30-45 minutes. Stir in the spinach at the very end.

Do you need to soak the lentils first?

No, there’s no need to soak the dry lentils before adding them to the curry. The lentils cook alongside the rest of the ingredients in this recipe. If you soak the lentils first, they’ll likely release water as they cook, making your curry watery and like more of a lentil soup than a thick curry!

What kind of lentils are best?

I’d recommend using dry red lentils for this recipe, but dry green lentils would work too.

What can you use instead of coconut milk?

Coconut milk is pretty essential to making this vegan curry, but if you’re not concerned about keeping it a vegan and non dairy dish, you can swap it out for a bit of heavy cream instead.

Why are my lentils tough after cooking?

If you find that your lentils are still a bit tough after cooking, they haven’t cooked for long enough. Continue to cook in the crockpot until the lentils have the desired consistency.

Storing and reheating

One of the best parts of slow cooker recipes is that they’re great for meal prep. You can just dump everything in the crockpot, have it cook all day, then enjoy it fresh or store it in the fridge for later.

If you have any leftovers of this lentil curry, you can store individual portion sizes in glass meal prep containers in the fridge. When you’re ready to enjoy, reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. I’d suggest sprinkling a bit of water or vegetable broth over top before reheating to ensure the curry doesn’t dry out.

Can you freeze lentil curry?

Freezing this lentil dal is super easy! You can freeze it in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal, or reheat straight from frozen in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.

Ingredients and substitutions