Easy Chickpea and Lentil Curry

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Easy Chickpea and lentil curry is warming, delicious, and so filling! This curry is like a warm hug in a bowl! Did I mention it’s easy? And plant based? You don’t want to miss this recipe! 

Make this incredible curry in less than 30 minutes and serve it alongside some rice, rice noodles, or (who are we kidding? AND) and naan bread.  It’s an easy, breezy weeknight dinner, or freeze it for easy lunches!

Ingredients + substitutions

• Olive oil - any neutral tasting oil will work, I prefer to use olive oil for sautéing. 
• Onion - for flavor, any small onion works: yellow, white, or red onion will work.
• Garlic - minced or grated fresh garlic works. 
• Ginger - minced or grated.  I like to grate ginger, and I often don’t peel it, you really don’t need to do that! 
• Thai red curry paste - any red curry paste will work, I like Thai Kitchen brand, I think it has the best flavor.  
• Spices: turmeric, cumin, kosher salt
• Chicken or vegetable broth - to make it vegan, be sure to use vegetable broth.  But I like to use chicken bone broth for the best flavor and added health benefits. 
• Chickpeas - any cooked chickpeas will work, I just used canned chickpeas to make this stew quickly.  
• Dry red lentils - red lentils cook quickly and almost dissolve into your curry.  You can use green lentils here, or split, but the cooking times will vary.  
• Rice vinegar - rice vinegar adds a little flavor but you can substitute it with some lime juice if you don’t have rice vinegar.  
• Brown sugar - any sugar or sweetener that you like will work. 
• Full fat coconut milk - for creaminess, sweetness, and flavor.  You can use light coconut milk, if you’d like. 

Steps to make chickpea and lentil curry

The full recipe can be found in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick rundown of how you’ll make this recipe:

• Grab a Dutch oven and add the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onion, ginger.  Sauté until it’s fragrant.
• Next, add the red curry paste and spices.  Stir it around to toast up the curry paste and wake up the spices.  
• Then deglaze the pan with the broth, and add the chickpeas, lentils, and rice vinegar.  Bring it to a simmer and turn it down to low, cover, and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes or until the lentils cook through.  
• Uncover, add the coconut milk, give it a taste, add additional salt if needed.  
• Serve it up with basmati rice, naan bread, and some fresh lime wedges! 

Meal prep tips

This is one of my absolute favorite meal prep recipes. It’s easy to grab for a quick lunch or dinner.  I like to freeze individual 1-cup portions and basmati rice separately and then reheat them in the microwave or a pan.  

You can keep this in the freezer for up to three months, just remove it from the freezer the night before you’d like to eat it and thaw it in the fridge.  Or thaw it on the counter the day you’d like to reheat it. 

FAQs

More easy dinner ideas

• Dutch Oven Meatballs with Sauce
• Blood Orange Kale Salad
• Blackened Shrimp Alfredo
• Lobster Ravioli in Cream Sauce

Easy Chickpea and Lentil Curry

Chickpea and Lentil Curry is an easy, delicious, and meal prep friendly dish! You're going to love it because it's filling, warming, and totally healthy!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 2 people

Calories 421 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch ginger peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 14 oz can of chickpeas
• 1 cup dry red lentils
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 can full fat coconut milk
• Optional toppings: Greek yogurt lemon wedges, and chopped cilantro

Instructions

 

• In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, add the olive oil, onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.
• Add the red curry paste, turmeric powder, cumin, salt, and cayenne. Stir it around for a minute just to wake up the spices and lightly toast the curry paste.
• Deglaze the pan with the broth, then add the chickpeas, lentils, rice vinegar, and brown sugar. Bring it to a simmer, turn it down to low and cover. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
• Uncover, stir in the coconut milk. Give it a taste to make sure the saltiness is to your liking. Add more salt (or a dash of soy sauce) if needed.
• Serve with optional toppings, rice, rice noodles, or naan bread.

Notes

Curry is somewhat of a taste preference dish, some like it spicier, some like it saltier, some people use sodium-free broth, so you’re really going to have to taste as you go with this one.

Freeze the leftovers for up to three months in a freezer-safe container or keep them in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 days.

 

*Nutrition facts are automatically calculated

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Sodium: 1180mg | Potassium: 443mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 4753IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 6mg

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