Spiced Red Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Yams: A vegan slow cooker meal

Lentil dishes are some of my favorite in the cold months, and there is nothing more warming than sweet potatoes and yams. It’s like being wrapped in a warm blanket. Recently I made a meal in the slow cooker made with green lentils, and wanted to make a similarly spiced dish with the softer red lentils. While the spices are similar, this one tastes quite a bit different due to the texture and sweet potatoes.

Red lentil topped with coconut flakes.
Red lentil topped with coconut flakes.

Red lentils blend perfectly with sweet potatoes in both texture and flavor. All of the ingredients in this recipe are inexpensive yet packed with nutrition, and this recipe makes a huge pot for a large family or bunch of leftovers.

Making this dish is incredibly simple: throw everything in the crockpot and wait. All you have to do is prep a few simple ingredients, and get out the spices. After the hours simmering in the slow cooker, you will have a fragrant house and flavorful dish.

The finishing touch of plant-based milk makes this dish creamy, and the perfect end to a chilly day. Serve with rice, vegetables, or naan bread.

Spiced red lentils with sweet potato and yam

A simple hearty, filling, yet inexpensive plant-based dish that can be made in the slow cooker.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Indian
Keyword: red lentils, sweet potatoes, yam
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time: 5 hours
Servings: 12 Servings
Calories: 156kcal
Author: Jen deHaan

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Mix the vegetable broth with all of your spices, and then place the mixture in your slow cooker.
  • Add the cubed sweet potatoes/yams and onion and cook on high for 3-3.5 hours. The vegetables should be soft for the next step.
  • Mix in the (rinsed) red lentils and then cook (still at high) for another 1.5 hours – 2 hours.
  • Before serving, add the thickened plant-based milk* (see notes) and mix thoroughly. Then slowly mix in some water until you reach the desired consistency.
  • Serve hot, seasoned with sea salt to taste.

Notes

Thickened non-dairy milk: Combine your favorite low-fat plant-based milk (such as soy, almond, cashew, or hemp milk) with 2-3 Tbsp of corn starch, arrowroot powder, or potato starch and whisk well. Or, combine 1/4 cup of cashews with about 12oz of water and blend in a high-speed blender until creamy and smooth.
Nutrition Facts
Spiced red lentils with sweet potato and yam
Amount per Serving
Calories
156
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
0
g
0
%
Saturated Fat
 
0
g
0
%
Trans Fat
 
0
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
0
g
Cholesterol
 
0
mg
0
%
Sodium
 
130
mg
6
%
Potassium
 
504
mg
14
%
Carbohydrates
 
30
g
10
%
Fiber
 
9
g
38
%
Sugar
 
4
g
4
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
11450
IU
229
%
Vitamin C
 
5
mg
6
%
Calcium
 
89
mg
9
%
Iron
 
2.4
mg
13
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe? Customized it?Let us know how it was in the comments!
Jen deHaan
Jen deHaan

Jen is a plant-based nutrition enthusiast and vegan living in British Columbia, Canada. She has over 20 years experience in software, graphics, and art, including many years in Silicon Valley corporations. Jen completed the Developing Healthy Communities graduate program at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Jen really likes dogs and dancing too.

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