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Curry Red Lentil Stew with Kale + Chickpeas

Curry Red Lentil Stew features tender lentils, tomatoes, onion, ginger and flavorful spices mixed with chickpeas and kale for a healthy weeknight meal that’s easy to make!

side angle view of curry red lentil stew in a pot with items surrounding.

Coming to the end of fall and I thought a nice lentil stew was in order.

I happen to have all the ingredients on hand for this vegan Red Lentil Stew and decided to put them all together. And I’m so glad I did because it was a delicious success!

This hearty lentil stew is packed with vegetables and spices for tons of flavor and will keep you warm and fully satisfied in the cold winter weather!

What I love so much about this recipe is that thanks to the quick cooking of red lentils, it also comes together relatively fast. And leftovers taste even better!

top down view of ingredients used to make healthy red curry lentil stew.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Brightened with lemon and infused with garlic, ginger, and spices, the red lentils cook down into a hearty puree, creating a quick and easy lunch or dinner.

Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • onion
  • garlic
  • fresh ginger
  • curry powder (yellow)
  • cumin
  • turmeric
  • red pepper flakes
  • fire roasted tomatoes
  • red lentils
  • garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • water or vegetable broth
  • kale
  • lemon

What If I Don’t Have All The Spices?

There are a few spices here, which include turmeric, curry, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Feel free to simplify by just using curry and maybe another spice or two. You can still pull off a flavorful lentil stew by simply using curry alone as well.

top down view showing the process of making curry red lentil stew with chickpeas and kale.

How To Make Curry Red Lentil Stew

This curry red lentil stew is easy to make and on the table in about 45 minutes!

  1. Rinse the lentils and remove any that are odd.
  2. Heat your oil over medium heat in a large pot or stock pot, and saute onion and garlic until the onion becomes transparent.
  3. Add spices, tomatoes, lentils, garbanzo beans, and 6 cups of liquids.
  4. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  5. Add in the kale and lemon juice, and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the kale softens and wilts.
top down view of adding kale to curry red lentil stew in a black pot.

How To Store Leftovers

Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.

Freezer: This curry lentil stew is freezer-friendly and freezes well for 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers (affiliate link), leaving 1/2 inch for expansion. Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers.

Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop over low heat until warmed through. Alternately, reheat in the microwave using 30 – 45 second intervals, stirring after each, until warm. It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade Naan on the side for soaking up the juices.

top down view of freshly made pot of curry red lentil stew with chickpea and kale.

Serving Suggestions

Serve alone or over white rice, brown rice, or quinoa. It would pair well with this flavorful Lime Cilantro Rice. And for soaking and swiping, this vegan naan bread is just what you need. Enjoy!

More Easy Curry Recipes!

top down view of a bowl with a serving of curry red lentil stew with items surrounding.

If you try this curry red lentil recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.

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CURRY RED LENTIL STEW WITH KALE & CHICKPEAS

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.9 from 17 reviews

A flavorful Indian spiced curry red lentil stew with chickpeas and kale. Serve with rice or quinoa for a healthy lunch or dinner.

  • Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
  • Prep Time: 10 min
  • Cook Time: 30 min
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6
  • Category: Soup, Entree
  • Cuisine: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or 1/4 cup water/veg broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 inch knob fresh ginger, minced
  • 12 tablespoons curry powder (yellow), to taste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • himalayan salt to taste
  • 12 teaspoons red pepper flakes, optional
  • 1 can (15 oz) fire roasted tomatoes or 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
  • 2 cups dry red lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups water or vegetable broth, + more as needed
  • 4 cups kale, julienned
  • juice of one lemon, optional
  • cooked basmati rice (brown or jasmine ok too), to serve

Instructions

In large pot or stock pot, heat oil over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, and ginger until onion becomes transparent, about 5 minutes. Add spices, tomatoes, lentils, garbanzo beans and 6 cups of liquids, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add in the kale and optional lemon juice, continue to cook for 10 minutes or until kale softens and wilts.

Serve alone, or over white rice, brown rice or quinoa. It would pair well with this flavorful Lime Cilantro Rice. And for soaking and swiping this vegan naan bread is just what you need. Enjoy!

Serves 6

Notes

As with all recipes, adjust spices to taste adding anything more or less to your liking.

Store: 

  • Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 5 – 6 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
  • Freezer: This curry lentil stew is freezer friendly and freezes well for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely and store in freezer safe containers (affiliate link). Let thaw before reheating. You can also freeze larger portions in large ziplock bags or containers.
  • Reheat: Simply re-warm on the stovetop or the microwave. It makes a great meal prep for the week with homemade Naan on the side for soaking up the juices.

Updated: This Curry Lentil Stew was originally published in March 2013. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in January 2020. No changes were made to the recipe – I wouldn’t dare!

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59 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    Just wondering how many calories 1 serve of the stew would be ? Thanks :)

  2. Anonymous says:

    This was delicious! I am so glad I did a search for kale and red lentils! lol Thank you!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Your so welcome! Glad you gave it a shot and it worked for you. Cheers :)

  3. PoppySeedBread says:

    Didn't have two cups of red lentils, so I added some black ones first and then 15 min later my split red ones. Added some thinly sliced carrots too. Delicious! Pureed some for my 9 month old and he loved it. Thank you!!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Wonderful! Your quick thinking worked and you and your little one had a very hearty and healthy soup. :)

  4. Ashley295 says:

    This is delicious!!

  5. Lauren Ash says:

    I added zucchini and some quinoa. I have a question though….my red lentils dissolved, unlike yours in the pictures which appear to have a nice, whole shape. Thoughts?

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Zucchini and quinoa sound fabulous! I wonder if your red lentils were split or whole…if they were split the cooking time would be 12 minutes or so instead of 30…other than that I can't think of why they would dissolve. Or maybe it was just that batch you had.

    2. Lauren Ash says:

      Ahh, I must have bought split instead of whole. It still tastes great, but yours looks prettier! :) Next time I'll look for the whole red lentils. Thanks!

  6. I made this delicious dish for Easter, it was a HUGE hit with everyone!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Great! Makes my day to know that you feed a crowd and they loved it too. Cheers :)

  7. Anonymous says:

    I saw this on Pinterest and thought I'd try it. Simple and very yummy. I had some sweet potato and Broccoli which I had to use up, so I added it to the curry and it worked really well. Thank you for this great recipe.

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      That sounds like a winner to me! Thank you for sharing. :)

  8. I love curries, especially when they have lentil in them :) I would love to try this very soon ! Looks delicious!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Enjoy!

  9. This is so my kinda meal! I have all the ingredients and a cozy couple of days ahead – this will be perfect. Thanks for sharing it!

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Hope it worked out for you on your cozy couple days!

  10. Wow!! I try to make a lentil stew most weekends and this a great delicious looking twist to get my lentils! Excited to try it :)

    1. julie@thesimpleveganista says:

      Give it a go! Spice your weekly lentils up. :)

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