This simple, 6-ingredient red lentil curry is the perfect weeknight dinner option that doesn’t even require any chopping! Keep these ingredients on hand in your pantry so you can whip this up anytime.
This simple six ingredient red lentil curry is the perfect dinner recipe for fall. You can whip this up in one-pot in under 30 minutes without even chopping anything. That’s right – no chopping required! 👌 I came up with this super simple recipe when we were camping earlier this summer on Door County, WI. (Which was beautiful by the way!) I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but we both thought it was so good I’ve made it a couple times since. The recipe only requires 6 ingredients – plus salt.
Here’s what you need to make this simple red lentil curry:
- Red lentils – I love using these because they cook up so much faster than green or brown lentils.
- Curry powder – We always keep some of this in the pantry for dishes like this one or another favorite dish of mine, this healthy one-pot cauliflower curry.
- Canned diced tomatoes – I love to use fire roasted canned diced tomatoes for this as they have a bit more flavor than traditional canned diced tomatoes. Since this recipe has so few ingredients, it is worth the extra dollar or two for the fire roasted tomatoes!
- Canned coconut milk – I used full fat for this recipe, but you could also use lite canned coconut milk if you prefer.
- Canned chickpeas – We always have a can or two of chickpeas on hand for recipes like these!
- Spinach (optional) – Add a pop of green by stirring in some fresh spinach leaves near the end of cooking.
What to serve with this simple red lentil curry
- Serve it up in a big bowl by itself with a bit of chopped cilantro.
- Spoon it over some cooked rice, quinoa, or your favorite grain. You could even serve it over cauliflower rice.
- Serve with a few pieces of naan to dip in this yummy curry.
Looking for more lentil recipes? Check out these!
- Roasted cauliflower, feta, and lentil salad
- One pot red lentil pumpkin soup
- Lentil meatballs with curry sauce
Simple Red Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 1 28 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (full-fat and lite both work)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 13.5 oz can chickpeas
- 1/2 8 oz bag spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt adjust to taste
Instructions
- Add red lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk, and curry powder to a large, deep skillet or saucepan. Bring to a simmer of medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in chickpeas and spinach. Simmer for another 8-10 minutes or until red lentils are tender. Add salt and taste again, adding more salt if needed.
- Serve alone or spooned over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Didn’t make this recipe yet but it sounds so simple and amazing! We go to Door County often where you mentioned that you created this recipe. Most beautiful place to visit ever!!!
Yes – Door County is so pretty! We love visiting there.
It’s quick and it’s good. I drained both the lentils and chickpeas, but found it was still a bit… Soupy for me. Will be trying again and again, and tweaking as I go. Thanks for suggesting the perfect place to start for beginners too curry.
I made this today and added ginger, garlic, garam masala, and cumin. I did need to add water as well- lentuls needed them. Recipe doesn’t mention if the chickpeas need to be rinsed or not so.I tossed the whole can in, liquid and all