Ginger Sweet Potato Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils & Kale
Created by Laura Wright from the First Mess
A note from Claudia
This is one of Corrina's absolute favorite stews. I prefer a more stew-like consistency which is why I added extra brown lentils (3/4 Cups instead of 1/2 Cup) and reduced the vegetable broth to 3 Cups from 4 Cups. My go-to veggie stock is Better than Bouillon. They have a low sodium version which is my preference though the economy size (21 ounces) at Costco does not come in low sodium yet is quite a cost savings compared to the 8 ounce jar at Whole Foods. Don't fret about being able to use the larger container before the expiration date. So many vegan recipes require veggie broth. If you can't find low sodium, do a taste test prior to adding any additional salt required in the recipe.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
½-1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 ½ lbs (690 grams) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
½ cup brown lentils, picked over
4 cups vegetable stock
13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
1 small bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 cups chopped kale)
To garnish: chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, nigella seeds
Instructions
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the coconut oil to the pot and let it melt. Add the onions to the pot and stir. Saute the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent and quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric. Saute spices until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the ginger and garlic to the pot and cook for another minute. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the sweet potatoes to the pot and stir to coat in the spices. Add the lentils to the pot and stir once more. Season everything liberally with salt and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and stir, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Place the lid on top of the pot and bring to a boil.
Once the stew is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and set the lid slightly askew on top of the pot so that there’s a couple inches available for steam to escape. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are almost falling apart and the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. The liquid should also be reduced by almost a third.
Add the coconut milk and kale to the pot and stir. Place the lid on top and continue to simmer the stew until the kale is wilted and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the sweet potato and coconut milk stew again with salt and pepper. Bring the stew back up to a strong simmer and check for seasoning. Adjust with more salt, pepper, chili etc. if necessary.
Serve the sweet potato and coconut milk stew hot with chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, and Nigella seeds (if using).