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Home > Vegan Recipes

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry (Slow Cooker Recipe)

2/25/21 by Nicole | 13 Comments

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5 from 16 votes. Leave a review!

This sweet potato lentil curry recipe is incredibly easy to make using a slow cooker. Just dump and go, set it and forget it; the only steps are to chop vegetables and add ingredients to a crock pot. This recipe is packed with delicious curry flavors in a rich and creamy sauce.

It’s a very saucy curry that can be served as-is (more like a soup) or alongside a cooked grain like rice or quinoa. It’s vegan, gluten free and loaded with nutritious ingredients!

Two bowls of sweet potato lentil curry served from a slow cooker. Each bowl contains brown rice, curry and cilantro, while the second (back) bowl also contains two lime wedges

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Is Sweet Potato Lentil Curry Vegan?

Sweet potato lentil curry recipes may or may not be vegan. Ghee and dairy milk or cream are common non-vegan curry ingredients. Luckily, canned coconut milk is a great way to create a rich, creamy and satisfying curry that’s dairy free!

I love the combo of sweet potato and lentils since it’s packed with nutrition; you’ll get plenty of fiber and complex carbohydrates from both. The lentils provide plant-based protein and minerals like iron and zinc while sweet potato offers plenty of beta carotene, potassium and magnesium!

A close-up image showing the color and texture of vegan slow cooker curry made from sweet potato and lentils. The deep orange color is contrasted by chopped green cilantro which is sprinkled across the top of the entire bowl

Ingredients to Make Slow Cooker Curry

This recipe contains plenty of delicious ingredients that cook together into a beautifully flavorful vegan curry.

  • Sweet potato: Providing the bulk of this recipe’s volume, sweet potato cooks up beautifully in the slow cooker. With a soft texture and mild flavor, it really takes on all the flavors of this curry.
  • Green lentils: Dry green lentils are an inexpensive and tasty way to bulk up this recipe with some plant-based protein! Lentils are small enough to cook from dry in the lower heat of a slow cooker.
  • Onion, garlic and ginger: The curry flavor is enhanced with the addition of aromatic ingredients like onion, ginger and garlic! The amount of garlic is completely up to you, so use as much as you feel like at the time.
  • Bell pepper: Extra vegetables are always welcome in my curry recipes, and bell pepper is one I regularly keep on hand. Almost any other vegetable would work in place of bell pepper so use whatever you have around (I’ve used carrot and cauliflower in the past; both were delicious).
  • Tomato: A can of tomato provides nice acidity plus some of the liquid needed to cook the lentils. Diced or crushed tomatoes are fine to use and offer the same flavor but different texture. Crushed tomatoes offer more liquid and create a soup-like curry while diced tomatoes offer a chunkier texture.
  • Vegetable broth: This is the main liquid used to cook your lentils! I use no salt added vegetable broth then add salt in at the end, to taste. If your vegetable broth contains salt then you may not need any extra. Just take a bite once the curry is cooked and adjust salt from there.
  • Curry powder: As the main flavor, you’ll use quite a bit of curry powder. You can use any brand you enjoy. Curry powder is a lovely and convenient blend of spices and each brand uses different mixtures (resulting in unique flavor profiles).
  • Sugar: Sweetness helps balance acidity from the tomatoes and possible astringent flavor that may be present in your curry powder. Read the ingredients to see if your curry powder already contains sugar, if so, you likely don’t need more!
  • Coconut milk: A can of coconut milk adds delicious creaminess to the curry sauce. I add it at the end to keep the full flavor from the coconut as I enjoy that!
  • Cilantro: This is optional, but if you like cilantro and have it on hand, it’s a delicious addition to curry. You can stir some chopped cilantro directly into the curry or sprinkle it on each bowl when serving.
  • Lime juice: I love a spritz of citrus since it really enhances other flavors. Some lime brightens the heavier flavor in this rich and creamy curry!
Ingredients for slow cooker sweet potato lentil curry. Includes sweet potato, crushed tomato, vegetable broth, lentils, bell pepper, onion, ginger, curry powder and salt

How to Make Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

This recipe is incredibly easy to make and only requires two simple steps. Slow cooker recipes should offer “dump and go” convenience without extra work of precooking the ingredients!

This doesn’t require extra dishes, just the slow cooker, making it a one-pot meal!

Step 1: Add Ingredients to Slow Cooker

Prepare the vegetables and add into the slow cooker: peel and cube sweet potato, mince ginger and garlic, chop bell pepper and onion.

Along with the vegetables, add the remining ingredients except for the coconut milk: canned tomato, lentils, curry powder, vegetable broth, sugar.

Stir the ingredients together then turn on the crock pot to high heat for 4 hours. If possible, stir once or twice while the curry cooks, but this isn’t needed.

Begin adding the curry ingredients to your slow cooker, starting with crushed tomatoes. All ingredients are prepared and ready to add in.

Step 2: Stir in Coconut Milk and Serve

The lentils will be soft and will have soaked up much of the liquid once the curry is cooked! Lentils cook well in a slow cooker since they’re a small legume. Other larger legumes typically need higher heat to cook, but lentils work great in a crock pot!

All you need to do now is stir in the can of coconut milk! This creates a beautifully creamy and saucy curry.

If you used no salt vegetable broth, give the curry a taste and add salt if/ as needed.

If using, serve topped with cilantro. You can serve as-is or alongside a cooked grain like rice or quinoa!

Dumping in a can of coconut milk into the sweet potato and lentil curry that sits within a slow cooker. This turns the deep red curry into a creamy orange mixture

Crock Pot Curry Tips and Substitutions

This is truly an easy recipe! The main question I’m asked is, "what will happen if I add coconut milk at the beginning?"

This should work fine; but adding coconut milk at the end enhances flavor better. If you’d rather toss it in at the beginning it should work out but may have less coconut flavor.

Also, for unique freshness and to cut through the thicker creamy sauce, a spritz of lime juice is delicious to top the curry with!

Crock pot sweet potato and lentil curry served into two large white bowls. Cilantro and lime wedges garnish both bowls, while extras sit in small glass dishes on the granite countertop

How to Refrigerate and Freeze Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover curry in an airtight container for up to a week. Reheat either in a small pot on the stove until warmed through or in the microwave.

This recipe creates a large amount of curry that you can freeze for up to 4 months. I love to use this recipe to meal prep specifically for the freezer. It’s great to have a hearty and nutritious meal ready to heat whenever I need a quick dinner.

It’s best to remove from the freezer to thaw in the fridge overnight then reheat stove-top (in a pot) or in the microwave. If you don’t have time to thaw in the fridge, you can warm the frozen curry in a pot over medium heat until ready to serve.

Two bowls of deep orange colored sweet potato lentil curry after being served from a slow cooker. Sprinkled with cilantro with two lime wedges in each bowl to provide a burst of light citrus flavor

I’ve made this curry recipe countless times and keep coming back for its simplicity and deliciousness! I hope you enjoy as much as my family and I do.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

Close up of a small white bowl half filled with rice and half with lentil sweet potato curry. Cilantro garnish.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lentil Curry

This sweet potato lentil curry recipe is made in a slow cooker (crock pot) and is incredibly easy to make. It’s vegan and gluten free, packed with delicious flavors and nutrition. The perfect “dump and go” “set it and forget it” recipe!
5 from 16 votes. Leave a review!
Prevent screen going dark
Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 4 hrs
Total Time 4 hrs 30 mins
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 310 kcal
Cuisine Indian-inspired, Vegan

Equipment

  • Slow cooker
  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • Can opener

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups sweet potato , peeled and cubed (450 grams, about 2 medium)
  • 1 cup dry green lentils (220 grams)
  • 1 cup bell pepper , any color (120 grams, about 1 large)
  • 1 cup onion , chopped (150 grams, about 1 medium)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , minced
  • 3-5 cloves garlic , minced
  • 3 cups canned tomatoes , diced or crushed (28 oz / 800 mL can)
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (no salt added/ low sodium)
  • 3 tablespoons curry powder
  • ½ tablespoon sugar
  • 1 ½ cups canned coconut milk (14 oz / 400 mL can)
  • salt (to taste; if needed)

To Serve

  • cilantro to serve , chopped (optional)
  • lime juice , fresh (optional)
Prevent screen going dark

Instructions

  • Prepare all the vegetables by peeling and cubing sweet potatoes, chopping onion and bell pepper, mincing ginger and garlic. Add all these vegetables to a slow cooker.
    3 cups sweet potato, 1 cup bell pepper, 1 cup onion, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, 3-5 cloves garlic
  • Add the remaining ingredients, except for coconut milk, to the slow cooker.
    3 cups canned tomatoes, 3 cups vegetable broth, 3 tablespoons curry powder, ½ tablespoon sugar, 1 cup dry green lentils
  • Stir the ingredients together.
  • Set the slow cooker to high heat for 4 hours. Stir occasionally if possible (not necessary).
  • Once the curry is cooked (and lentils are soft through to the center), stir in a can of coconut milk.
    1 ½ cups canned coconut milk
  • Taste your curry and add salt (if needed) to get the right flavor.
    salt
  • Serve as-is or alongside a cooked grain (rice, quinoa, etc.).
  • Optional to top with chopped cilantro and/ or fresh lime juice.
    cilantro to serve, lime juice

Video

Notes

Accuracy of nutrition information cannot be guaranteed (certain ingredients may not have all nutrients listed in the database); amounts may vary (and will vary depending on brands of ingredients used); all nutrition fact values rounded to the nearest whole number.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving (⅙ of recipe)Calories: 310 kcalCarbohydrates: 43 gProtein: 11 gFat: 11 gSaturated Fat: 8 gSodium: 803 mgPotassium: 535 mgFiber: 11 gSugar: 12 gVitamin A: 9505 IUVitamin C: 60 mgCalcium: 102 mgIron: 4 mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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About Nicole Stevens

Nicole is a vegan Registered Dietitian (RD) and founder of Lettuce Veg Out.

She helps people thrive on a vegan diet with balanced recipes and easy-to-understand nutrition science.


Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Erika

    September 30, 2022 at 4:32 pm

    Hi. I am wondering if the frozen leftovers can be reheated on either the low or keep warm setting of my slow cooker? Maybe for 4-6hrs?

    Reply
    • Nicole

      September 30, 2022 at 7:51 pm

      I've never tried reheating this (or anything) from frozen in a slow cooker so I'm really not sure how long it would take or how well it'd work. Sorry I can't be more helpful but maybe try searching for how to reheat food in a slow cooker for a better answer?

      Reply
  2. M

    June 17, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    Could you cook on low for 8 hours?

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      June 18, 2022 at 10:54 am

      I've never tried it this way. I think it would work okay but can't guarantee anything.

      Reply
  3. Laurie

    May 20, 2022 at 4:00 pm

    If I want to add a half a can-1 can of chickpeas should I throw in with the rest? Or wait til the end?

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      May 20, 2022 at 5:03 pm

      I'm not sure it'll make a difference when they are added, but I've never tested it out. Adding them earlier could help them soak up some flavor.

      Reply
  4. Lindsay

    February 13, 2022 at 2:02 pm

    This is exactly the type of curry I love!! I used tomato purée from my moms garden, and also added a handful of chickpeas and a tsp of cayenne powder for some spice. I made Naan bread on the side as it is deliciously saucy. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      February 13, 2022 at 8:43 pm

      So happy you enjoyed! Cayenne is the perfect thing to add for some spice and Naan is always delicious 🙂

      Reply
  5. Tricia

    August 07, 2021 at 4:14 pm

    Hello,
    Could I substitute with red lentils? I don’t have any green on hand

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      August 08, 2021 at 12:35 pm

      Hi Tricia, I've never tried red lentils but assume they would work just fine!

      Reply
  6. Karen

    September 20, 2020 at 10:09 am

    Hi there! I just started making this, but didn’t read the directions sufficently, and I put in the coconut milk with the vegetables right at the start. Should I see what happens, or will the cooked coconut milk make it an inedible disaster?

    Reply
    • Nicole Stevens

      September 21, 2020 at 7:01 am

      Hi Karen, thanks for the comment. I've found the flavor and texture to be different with the coconut milk added at the start but technically it should "work" and I hope it turned out for you!

      Reply
  7. Jeannette Stevens

    April 21, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    I have made this 3 times and it is simply Amazing and so easy to make.

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Nicole! As a vegan Registered Dietitian, I empower vegans to live a balanced life and gain confidence in the kitchen.

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