This light and healthy vegan almond milk lentil curry is packed with plant based protein and veggies. With minimal prep time, this curry is a perfect weeknight dinner that is ready in just over an hour – and most of that time is spent simmering on the stove! Leftovers freeze beautifully, making this recipe perfect for meal prep.
Vegan Almond Milk Lentil Curry
Most vegan curries are made using coconut milk for that incredible rich, creamy consistency that is quintessential in a good curry. Although I love coconut curry, sometimes I prefer something a little less decadent that still carries those amazing curry flavors. Not to mention, there have been several times when a curry craving strikes and I realize I’m out of coconut milk! The worse.
A delicious lentil curry without coconut milk
But I always have almond milk! And that is how this recipe was born. Subbing almond milk for the usual coconut milk provided a slight creaminess that is more decadent than a soup but lighter than a typical coconut curry.
The best low calorie curry
There is absolutely nothing wrong with coconut milk! But if you are trying to watch your calories, then this almond milk lentil curry is a great lower calorie alternative to coconut curry. 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk has about 30 calories, while 1 cup of full fat coconut milk has 550 calories, and 1 cup of lite coconut milk has about 150 calories. This vegetarian curry is also packed with lots of fiber and protein from the veggies and lentils, which will keep you full for longer.
Why you’ll love this healthy vegan curry
- A healthier, lower calorie curry that doesn’t skimp on flavor. This curry is packed with vegetables, lentils, and almond milk, making it a great low calorie dense food that will fill up your belly and keep you satiated for a long time.
- Minimal prep time. Once you dice all the veggies, most of the cook time is spent simmering the curry on the stove. This recipe makes for a great fuss-free weeknight dinner. To save time, you can roughly chop the veggies and pulse them a few times in the food processor to get everything diced faster.
- Perfect for meal prep. This lentil curry lasts a week in the fridge and it freezes beautifully! No need to worry about it going bad.
Ingredients for Almond Milk Lentil Curry
- Unsweetened almond milk: many vegan curries are made with coconut milk, but this one is a lighter coconut-free curry! I love almond milk, but this would also work with any unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice.
- Vegetable broth: I love Better than Bouillon vegetable base
- Lentils: brown or green lentils both work
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: these tomatoes provide a great depth of flavor!
- Diced vegetables: onion, bell pepper, carrot, garlic, and ginger
- Spices: curry powder, garam masala, ground turmeric, ground cumin, paprika, and cayenne (optional, for heat)
- Salt & pepper: to taste
How to make Almond Milk Lentil Curry
Start by dicing your vegetables. Heat up some oil in a large pot and sauté the vegetables. Once the vegetables have softened, bloom the spices until very fragrant. Add the fire roasted tomatoes, and cook for a couple more minutes.
Then add the lentils, almond milk, and vegetables to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 40-45 minutes. Add the lemon juice at the end to brighten up the curry, and enjoy!
What to serve with lentil curry?
I love enjoying this curry with brown rice, cilantro, and a generous squeeze of lemon or lime juice! This curry would also taste amazing served with white rice, farro, quinoa, or even baked potatoes. Yum!
Can I freeze lentil curry?
This vegan lentil curry is freezer friendly and perfect for meal prep! The curry will keep about a week in the fridge, but if you have leftovers you can store it in a freezer bag (I love these reusable silicone bags) or tupperware container to freeze. Let it thaw in the fridge before heating up.
More healthy weeknight vegan dinner ideas
- Meaty Vegan TVP Chili
- Easy 20 Minute Coconut Curry
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Easy Vegan Peanut Noodles
- Vegan TVP Meatballs
- BBQ Black Bean Veggie Burgers
- Vegan Lentil “Meatloaf”
Vegan Almond Milk Lentil Curry
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This light and healthy vegan almond milk lentil curry is packed with plant based protein and veggies. With minimal prep time, this curry is a perfect weeknight dinner that is ready in just over an hour – and most of that time is spent simmering on the stove! Leftovers freeze beautifully, making this recipe perfect for meal prep.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 large bell pepper (any color), diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced (1 inch piece)
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon each: garam masala, ground turmeric, ground cumin, paprika, and salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional, for spice)
- 1 cup dry green or brown lentils
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
For serving (optional)
- Brown rice
- Cilantro
- Lemon wedges
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Drain and rinse the lentils using a fine mesh strainer and set aside. Dice your vegetables and mince the ginger and garlic.
- Sauté the vegetables.
- Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, sauté onions, pepper, and carrots for 7 minutes, until browned.
- Add the ginger and garlic and cook an additional 60 seconds.
- Then add in all of the spices and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Finally, add in the tomatoes and cook another 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer the curry. Add the lentils, almond milk, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until lentils are tender. At the end, add in the lemon juice.
- Serve with rice, cilantro, and lemon slices. This lentil curry keeps in the fridge for a week, and it freezes really well.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 234.3 kcal
- Sugar: 14.6 g
- Sodium: 858.3 mg
- Fat: 6.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34.9 g
- Fiber: 14.6 g
- Protein: 11.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 g
Keywords: almond milk lentil curry, vegan lentil curry, curry without coconut milk