After my ambitious triple-blog-post week just after Arlo was born, I lost the motivation to write. I even had a few recipes and photos uploaded to my drafts folder, but I just couldn’t write the actual posts.
Knowing how fast this time goes by, I yearned to simply be present. I slowed down, which felt absolutely amazing. I worked when the inspiration was there and didn’t when it wasn’t. I soaked up our sweet baby boy. I savoured the confidence and ease of being a second-time mom (what a difference). A rollercoaster of hormones hit me early on, and I struggled with the blues on and off. I nursed and pumped and nursed some more. Eric and I mumbled incoherent words, back and forth, in the middle of the night (why is it so impossible to string words together at 3am?). I kissed Arlo’s head, cheeks, and feet a million and one times, and it has yet to feel like enough. I don’t think it ever will.
We witnessed Adriana transform into a little girl right before our very eyes. One night as I rocked her at bedtime—with her long legs falling off the side of the rocker, my arms burning under the weight of her body, and her bossy words instructing me what songs to sing and not to sing (“NO thank you, MOMMY!”)—it struck me that I was not cradling a baby anymore. I fought back tears. It had been a while since I rocked her, as my 3rd trimester bump had gotten in the way. Now she was basically a teenager disguised as a two-year-old.
Our basement renovation is almost wrapped up, so we’ve taken up dancing, the four of us, in the unfurnished rooms while listening to Christmas music. Adriana clutches her baby doll in her arms, just like I do with Arlo. We also play hide and seek. Often, the basement fun abruptly ends in tears as Adriana has a penchant for running into walls. Ouch. Boo-boos are kissed, and we explain, once again, why it’s a bit too soon for her to pick up her baby brother. So she hovers about an inch over his face, just trembling with excitement, sneaking in kisses. “He’s looking at you!” she yells with delight as he stares into her eyes.
I never want to forget these moments.
Even though I haven’t been writing as much, I’ve been cooking every chance that I get. A couple months ago, Pulse Canada contacted me about partnering with them to develop and share a recipe in celebration of the International Year of Pulses. If you can believe it, I’ve never created a sponsored recipe; most offers I’ve received didn’t feel like authentic reflections of me and the Oh She Glows brand. But pulses…well, I didn’t have to think twice. Peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas? You know I’m down with that. As I’ve shared on the blog before, Canada is one of the world’s leading producers of pulses (in fact, we’re the #1 producer of peas and lentils, which I think is super cool). There are a whopping 22,000 pulse farmers in Canada (high fives), and our pulses are consumed in over 150 countries. (“Our pulses”? Okay, now I’m talking like I grew them myself or something!) On a personal level, I eat pulses every single day, and I adore their flavour and versatility. Red Lentil Hummus, Chickpea Pancakes, No Bake Chickpea Cookie Dough Bars (a recipe I never got around to finalizing!), Lentil-Walnut Taco “meat”…the sky’s the limit with what you can create!
Aside from being super nutritious and easy on the wallet, pulses are friendly to the environment, too. Their carbon footprint is lower than almost any other food group.
Pulse Canada has created the “Pulse Pledge” encouraging people to commit to eating pulses once a week for 10 weeks and reduce their carbon footprint all at the same time. It’s totally free, and you can sign up with me here. (Spoiler alert: I’m killing it, lol.)
A big thanks to Pulse Canada for sponsoring this post. I’m delighted to finally share my newest pulse-based stew recipe with you below!
A couple housekeeping notes:
Be sure to check out my Instagram post on Friday for some super exciting Black Friday news (hint hint: big app sale, a free holiday cookie app bundle, and Android news!).
Lastly, I’m thrilled to let you know that Oh She Glows Every Day has made it to the final round in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Thank you so much to everyone who has voted and helped to get the book this far! Voting for the final round is open through November 27th; if you’re game to cast one more virtual ballot (or maybe your first!), I would appreciate the support more than I can say. :)
Butternut squash, red lentils, and sweet potato are wrapped in a lightly sweet and creamy coconut and tomato broth accented with spicy notes of turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, and garlic. Apple cider vinegar provides a tangy brightness to bring everything together. This stew tastes better the next day once the flavours have had a chance to mingle; if you can make it the day before serving, I’d highly recommend it! This recipe was created for Pulse Canada, and was inspired by Deliciously Ella. * Make sure to dice the squash and potato very small (about the size of almonds), as this will expedite cooking. Also, if you are short on time, you can skip peeling the butternut squash as the skin is edible. (I don’t recommend skipping peeling the potato, though.) ** You can swap the red lentils for 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed). *** You can swap the chard for 5 ounces of baby spinach or a bunch of kale (stemmed). I recommend chopping the greens into small bite-size pieces for easier eating.
Cozy Butternut, Sweet Potato, and Red Lentil Stew
Yield
11 cups (2.75 quarts)Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Ingredients
For the stew:
Optional accompaniments:
Directions
Tip:
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
We loved this!! We were looking for a way to introduce Indian food (and Turmeric) into our diet without going ‘all in’. This is a beautiful, colorful, hearty dish. My husband would like more protein so he suggested adding more lentils or other beans (or smoked turkey sausage, which would defeat the vegetarian aspect!). It was a joy to watch and smell this stew coming together!
I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit! Thanks for your review :)
Even though I love the recipes on this page, this is not Indian food. And, Indian food is much more than turmeric :)
Do you think it would be possible to make this in a crockpot?
Yes I do! I’m not sure on timing though. I would sauté the aromatics first ?
Hi I just made this and I’m wondering if you can freeze the leftovers?
Hey Lisa, yes you sure can! :)
Hi! Looks super yummy. If I would like to make this in a slow cooker, what would you suggest?
Hey Stephanie, I would sauté the aromatics first (to avoid them being crunchy in the final cooked dish) then I’d probably cook on low for 9 hours or so or high for 5-ish (all guesses!) you can add the greens during the last 1/2-1 hour cooking too
This was really lovely! I appreciate the curry feel with the nutritional benefits of all those healthy veggies. For the most part I followed the recipe exactly and it came out great. My supermarket didn’t have red lentils so I used green- next time I think I would double the amount (or try the red and see if it’s different). I also added a can of chickpeas in addition to the lentils and enjoyed it. I was a bit heavy handed with the spices and regret it because it’s a little too hot for me now- heed her spice warning!
I love your recipe tweaks Jennifer! Thanks for sharing your feedback :)
This was absolutely delicious.
Thanks Melanee!
I made this recipe for the first time when we had my brothers over and everyone gobbled it up! I made it again -doubled this time and sent to my mom who was sick with a cold and she said it was exactly what she needed?? The we had my husbands friend over and pulled this out of the fridge – he had seconds! so my double recipe was put to good use:) Made another double recipe this week and it’s been the perfect winter food to have around. Thanks Angela!
I love reading your story of the traveling soup!! Hah. So sweet you share it with so many. Thanks Hadassa!
So good! I subbed a Tbsp of mild curry powder for the spices (still added the salt and pepper) and spinach as the green. I was so excited to eat it, I almost forgot the spinach! I also used a potato masher to smash up the sweet potato and squash a bit to thicken.
Since making this for my daughter’s birthday, it has been my new favorite recipe. Love the fragrance as it cooks and the taste over basmati rice is soooo delicious.
I LOVE this stew. I used paprika instead of cayenne and also added chili flakes to add a nice oompf. I added a bay leaf when simmering to amp up flavour and it was amazing. I love this.
I made that yesterday and it tasted amazing!!! Since I started using your app, the food definitely tastes better.
I tried different vegan recipes, and yours are just perfect!!
I introduced your app to my work colleagues, and now all of them are using it!
Can’t wait to make one of your desserts on Friday!
Thank you!
And greetings from Israel ?? ❤️
Sivan
hi, can I make this in my instapot?
This was so delicous! I made it the night before in my instant pot and added the vinegar and baby spinach after re warming it. My kids loved it. It made so much i gave some to a friend and freezed some of it. So yummy.
We gave this recipe three separate chances, but each time, it felt lacking. I doubled, even tripled some of the spices and it came out bland as anything. We really did try and like this. It just wasn’t meant to be, I suppose.
Hi! Can I use green lentils with this recipe instead of red? Or is it better to substitute the chickpeas? Thanks
Lovely recipe, I added spinach instead of Chard and also 3/4 teaspoon of gram masala. To add more heat add chilli flakes to taste.
I tried this recipe with little modifications
I reduced the amount of the recipe, since I am cooking for one and didn’t wanna keep eating the same thing for days and days, and I didn’t have any greens to add, but otherwise it’s absolutely delicious
Angela knows how to bring flavours together
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s now a necessity in our household to have all the ingredients for this stew on-hand. Followed the recipe to a T (besides having no greens and using full-fat coconut milk) and it was an absolute winner. We’re on Day Two (so glad we doubled it so we had lots of leftovers; it really is better today) and cannot wait to see how it tastes with another day or two in the fridge. Pleased the entire family. So grateful.
Whole-family approved! Freezable?
Does this freeze well?
I cooked this 2x and my family loves it including my 1 year old (I used a little less veggie stock). I added 1 potato and 1 turnip because I only had a small sweet potato. I used spinach instead of kale. It was AMAZING. The flavours are really bright and delicious. Maybe it’s the Apple cider vinegar. Yum yum. Please my partner who normally hates squash and sweet potato! thanks!
This kepts us going every week during lockdown and I’m about to make it again. I add fresh tumeric into it to help with immunity.
Delicious!!!
Could this be made in a crockpot?
Ice been making – and sharing – this recipe since 2016. Just got an Instant Pot and wanted to know if you’ve done an Instant Pot version of this recipe (I’m making the Thai Cauliflower Butternut but it’s not quite the same). Thanks.
I made this today in the Instant Pot, sauteed the vegetables, 12-minute pressure cook, 10-minute slow-release, then added the spinach to cook in the residual heat. It was loved by all in my household, (4 adults and an 11-month-old grandson). I added rainbow carrots (from our garden) just to use them up. We’ve tried many of your recipes from your first cookbook and loved them all.
This is one of my all time favorite recipes- packed with veggies, perfect fall flavor, and excellently seasoned- pleases all the spice lovers in my household. Also filling from the lentils, I honestly triple the amount of lentils and it makes it super thick and filling! I’ve made this at least 5 times and it’s always a hit. Thanks Angela, you’re my favorite recipe creator!
I found this recipe on your app and made it for dinner. All I can say besides delicious is healing. My very sensitive stomach love it!
This is delicious! I made this in the instant pot (high pressure for 10 minutes/quick release) and it worked great! I put in the vinegar/chard/cilantro/coconut milk after it was done cooking. I also did the immersion blender for a couple seconds.
So good!!! I put a little siracha in it too (and only did a pinch of cayenne)
Nom
This is our favorite fall/winter stew to make because it is super flavorful and hearty. My husband is a fire fighter and has made it at the station for his shift and they love it. Definitely a crowd pleasing meal for vegans and non vegans as well!!
Hello! Trying this tonight!! :)
Can you freeze this stew/soup??
Thank you!
Thank you for this recipe, it is delicious! I made it twice, as per the recipe, and I just love the flavours! I served it on a bed of rice with a side of naan. My son and his gf loved it so much, they inhaled it. It taste great by itself as well.
Loved this. I had a squash and some sweet pots to use up so googled a recipe and found this. I used normal coconut milk as I didn’t have light, and it tastes fabulous anyway (also used white wine instead of apple vinegar). This is now one of my top go-to recipes thank you
This stew was one of the first recipes we tried when going vegan almost 5 years ago now. Since then it’s been a family favorite!!! We took our plant based journey to the next level and are now whole food plant based (no oil) and have also cut out saturated fats (the coconut milk) so I made a few tweaks to this recipe to accommodate these changes and I’m so relieved that it is just as good as the original! Instead of coconut milk I added 50g of cashews blended with a cup of water (for creaminess and to balance the chilli) and I simply omitted the oil and dry sautéed the onion and garlic (then deglazed the pan with 1tbs of water to turn it golden brown) this stew is a big bowl of cozy comfort just as it’s name suggests, especially on a cold winters day! Thank you from my whole family!
Absolutely delicious every time. My kids also enjoy this. Healthy, hearty and so good!
Holy smoke, this is DELICIOUS. We had with brown rice, coriander and natural yoghurt. It’s all just right!
Do you know how many grams of fat this recipe has? I have made it numerous times and love it, and want to make it for a friend who is ill. However, he cannot have food with more than 2% fat.
A follow up to the question below about fat content. If this recipe has more than 2% fat, can you recommend another of your recipes that is dairy and gluten free with less than 2% fat? Thank you.
As you’ll see this is not my first comment. Think first was two years ago. Contunue to love this and often make a double to share. But I am continually stumped witb the onion measurement. 1 medium onion gives much less than 2 cups. I need two large onions to come near two cups but am fearful to add 4 large onions/ 4 cups when I double it. Help!.
I make an Ethiopian lentil dish called misir wot. I think that this recipe with the Ethiopian spice blend would be amazing! Will try and let you know!
Wow… my 12 year old granddaughter made this tonight. She did everything and it was so delicious! She stopped eating meat 6 years ago because she loves animals.. what an inspiration ❤️
hOW MANY DOES THIS RECIPE SERVE?
Yum! Had this at dinner yesterday and hubby took for lunch today — he RARELY takes lunch with him! My subs:
This one’s a keeper!
This is really an awesome recipe.The flavor combination is unique and hard to label. It’s not really “Indian”, but it sure is good. The only changes I made (because everyone makes a change here or there, right?) is to use coconut cream plus some water (shopping error) and add more lentils, because we like ’em and a half-cup just didn’t seem like enough. Used our homegrown frozen tomatoes and spinach, too. A touch of sirracha. Delicious, hearty, and satisfying on a cold winter night!
Hello , do you have a recipe for 4 portions
This was so tasty and nourishing! I didn’t have squash or sweet potato so I whipped this up with some freezer pumpkin and it was wonderful! Next time I’ll go for the squash and sp.
Made this today in my Instant Pot Dutch oven. It worked perfect!! Tastes awesome. Serving tomorrow. Letting flavors come together.
I have only just discovered your recipes and currently LOVING your cookbooks. Thank you. What I am wondering, though, is when your recipes call for “sweet potato”, it looks like from the pictures that you are using the perhaps-incorrectly-named “yams” (orange sweet potatoes, not the white sweet potatoes), yes?
My whole family LOVED this! I changed a few things, either out of necessity or presence but stuck with the main bones of the recipe. I only had about half the turmeric called for so I added some curry powder and a touch of smoked paprika. I used French green lentils because that what I had and doubled it for a whole cup. I dint have any greens on hand so I just skipped it and while it was still delicious I will definitely add them in next time. Served all of it over rice and my husband literally talked about for days. Thanks for this beautiful, delicious and healthy recipe!