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
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I am making now. It’s all in the pot simmering. It smells absolutely fantastic! If I could make one suggestion, it would be to revise the list of ingredients so that you include the size of the butternut squash and sweet potato pieces right in the list, rather than below the recipe instructions. I missed it and I did my best to go back and re-chop things, but I know it’s not all almond size shaped. Thanks!
I love this! Made it last week and froze half… looking forward to those leftovers for my work lunches this week! This recipe is so unique in flavor, and it’s addicting! And I’m so glad to see the crockpot directions! That will make a perfect cozy lunch to come home to after church. Thanks for this Angela. I’m a huge fan of your blog and books. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year, Amanda! I’m so happy you’re loving the stew recipe…enjoy those leftover lunches. :)
I love stews this time of the year and this one looks and sounds so delicious! Love all the spices you’ve used.
I agree, stews are just so perfect in the winter months! If you give this one a try, I hope you enjoy it, Priyanka. :)
I’m eating this now and it’s amazing. Mmmmmm!
Yum! Enjoy ;)
I made this over the holidays for my half vegan and half non vegan family and it was a big hit! The flavors are spot on and it definitely hit the spot on a cold winter night. This will be in my family’s rotation from now on. Aside from subbing the chard for kale, I followed the recipe exactly and it was simple and easy to prepare. Winner!
Angela – I would love to see crockpot recipes from you! ;)
So glad to hear it hit the spot for everyone, Grace! It’s definitely a perfect winter dish to keep you warm. :)
Made this last night – it was absolutely divine and perfect for a rainy winter evening.
I’m glad this stew hit the spot, Mazzy! Hope you stay dry and warm out there.
I made this last night and it is going in my “keeper” folder. Really delicious. I only made two changes. First, I added ½ tsp. curry powder, just because my family likes curry.
Second, I changed a couple of steps in the recipe– I added the spices to the onions after they were soft and let them “bloom” while continually stirring. Then I added the tomato paste, stirring briefly before before adding the squash and potatoes. This helped the tomato paste develop a deeper and less-raw flavor. I do these steps every time I make a dish like this and it always helps to bring a richness and depth to the food.
As always, Angela, your recipes are a hit in my house. Thanks for all you do to share this great food with us! :)
Thanks so much for sharing those great tweaks, Amy! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. :)
This is a perfect recipe for me to try with sweet potato :)
Thanks for sharing.
I made this last night and it was a hit with the whole family (including my kids of 3 & 1). I followed the recipe exactly but left out the chili powder to avoid it being too spicy for the kids. It was still delicious for all and perfect for the freezing weather we have here at the moment. Thanks again for another delicious recipe & happy new year!
Great post! Super cute and heart-warming. Almost made me cry haha! :) Looking forward to making this tomorrow for some hungry apres-skiers, <3
Hi! Thank you so much for all your recipes–I’m a big fan! I received your newest cookbook for Christmas and continually suggest your recipes to vegan and non-vegans! Yesterday I made your muffin tops from new cookbook-so quick and easy! I also made your banana protein granola bars which I freeze for on the go breakfast–one of my faves! Quick question for this one- I have seen in comments where you suggest cooking in Crock Pot on high for around 4 hours then uncovered for additional time. The other day I saw on Instagram stories you did double batch overnight on low for 12 hours. Do you prefer one method over other? Does either have a better taste? Also this may be silly question but should I saute onion and garlic before putting in crock pot? Thanks for your help!
Hey Heather, Oh, great questions! And not silly at all (I have often wondered this in the past too). I don’t know if I have noticed a big difference when cooking on high for a shorter amount of time versus overnight on low. I would think that the flavours might develop a little more overnight, but I haven’t really paid much attention to it as I’ve only done it a couple times so far. I don’t sauté the onion and garlic beforehand to try and streamline things (I just throw it all in!), but you definitely can if you prefer. I also noticed that when slow cooking this stew, the chard flavour was more pronounced for some reason, so I think next time I will try using spinach and maybe adding it just before serving. Hope this helps!
It came out a little more like soup instead of stew. I used the immersion blender but I’mnot sure where I went wrong. Still delicious!
This recipe was delicious! It reminded my husband and I of butter chicken.
Made this on the weekend. Delicious.
Glad to hear you liked it, Kelly!!
Hi Angela, I just finished making this recipe, it is so good! The only change I made was to add a little more cayenne pepper. This is a keeper, a real awesome comfort food! Thank you so much, I love your recipes. Thanks, Sharon
Hi Sharon, thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I’m so happy the soup was a hit.
My whole family loved this recipe – even my husband who tends to find butternut + sweet potatoes a little too sweet and cloying for his taste. The way the red lentils and coconut milk combine to thicken the stew is genius. I used a potato masher instead of my immersion blender to smash up the ingredients a bit, I find that makes it easier to not over-purée. Topped it off with a dollop of plain Greek yoghurt. YUM!!!
It’s so great to hear the stew was a hit with everyone, Jennifer! Using a masher is such a great idea, too.
Absolutely Delicious! I was a little sceptical, but made it for dinner, as I wanted to try a plant based meal. Everyone loved it! This recipe is a keeper! Can’t wait to try more recipes from the cookbook!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear this stew won you over, Nancy! I hope you love whatever recipe you try next just as much.
So this is the first recipe I have ever tried and although I have experimented w/one vegan recipe from another source – I don’t recall it as enjoyable. Well this one is definitely where I should have come. Fed this to me, my husband and my daughter… this recipe is unbelievably good. Only change I made was to add the heat to taste… thank you for advising that. So good!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Colleen! I hope if you try another of my recipes, you love it just as much. :)
Hey, I’m a big fan of your books, blog and app. Made this tonight. It was amazing and had a perfect little kick to it. Thanks for posting!! Can’t wait to freeze some and have it in a few weeks as well!!
Insanely delicious. Don’t hesitate. Just make it. And then make it again.
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it! Based on your recent Snapchats, it looks like you use your slow cooker to make this as well? What are the instructions for making this stew in the slow cooker?
Hi Whitney, I just threw everything into the slow cooker except the greens and cooked it covered on high for 4 hours, followed by 1.5 hours on high UNcovered. Then, I very briefly used the immersion blender to thicken it into a stew texture, and added the greens at the very end. Hope this helps!
Thank you, Angela!
Made it for a potluck. It was a hit. So yummy! I used full fat coconut milk ;)
Made this last night and it was delicious! I roasted the butternut squash first just for fun and it was great. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Talya!
I stumbled on this recipe and looks great except of the Coconut milk, nowadays healthy cooking has a lot of Coconut/coconut milk product in it. I am highly allergic, what would be a good substitute? I have been using almond milk.
Hi Janet, I haven’t tested any swaps for the coconut milk yet, but you can definitely try almond milk. I think cashew milk might lend a nice creaminess too. I’m sure it goes without saying but be sure to use unflavoured (no vanilla) and unsweetened milk. Another thing you could try is using half almond milk and half cashew cream (blend soaked cashews with water until smooth). Please let us know if you try anything out!
I made this for a family potluck. It was a huge hit! I had 3-4 people ask for the recipe (so I directed them here!). I’ve made it a few times since too. It is delicious, nutritious, and pretty easy to make. My boys (3 and 1) liked it (even the time I forgot to cut back the heat for them).
Oh, I’m so pleased to hear everyone loved it! Grinning ear to hear over here. :)
What FABULOUS stew – it was positively delicious and so warming on a dark and dreary winter’s day. I made one change – I substituted Penzey’s “Now Curry” spice blend as it had all of the spices listed in the recipe, plus my favorite fenugreek and cardamom. It was a big hit – even for the non-vegans in my family! Definitely going into my recipe rotation.
https://www.penzeys.com/online-catalog/penzeys-curry/c-24/p-3037/pd-s
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What a great idea, Tonya! I’m so glad the recipe was such a hit with everyone. Keep warm out there!
Made it tonight – so delicious and easy! Perfect for a chilly NYC evening. We had it with brown rice on the side and cilantro on top. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers – I’m sure this will get even more delicious the next day. Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m glad it was a hit, Emily! This stew has definitely become one of our faves for chilly winter nights. :)
This is a fantastic recipe! I swapped the lentils for canned chickpeas in the last ~10 mins of cooking and used baby spinach because that’s what I had. Served over white rice. A perfect, nourishing meal that I will be making again.
I made this recipe without any of the tomato products. Best soup ever!
Yummy recipe! I used my Instapot pressure cooker; it worked great.
Hate to admit this on your website…but I am a meat eater. I have followed this website over the years and incorporated some of the recipes to spice it up and add meatless options to my diet. I made this recipe over the weekend because I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was delicious and incredibly satisfying. Just what I needed on a cold January day.
Absolutely delicious- thanks for the recipe.
This was so tasty and quick to make. I had a good friend over last night who loved it and filled up her Pyrex for lunch today. This was my first recipe from your blog (I am new to vegan cooking) and I can’t wait to try more this weekend and share this with my friends and family. Thank you!!!
Oh, I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed the recipe, Sarah! I hope you love whatever recipes you try this weekend just as much. :)
I was cooking up a storm tonight and only just realized that I was making 2 of your recipes simultaneously without realizing! Your chana masala is my go-to work fuel lunch, and I’m loving this soup for snowy days. I’m a meat & dairy eater but it’s so nice to find yummy vegan recipes to supplement my diet. Thanks!
I found your recipe on www.soulemama.com. I am trying your recipe tonight! So excited!
Mind if I ask what kind of wooden soup bowls you are using? They are beautiful!
Thanks!
Gina
Thank you Gina! The bowls were purchased second hand, so I’m sorry I don’t know where they were from originally. I hope you enjoy the soup!
This was delicious. Both my husband and I loved it. The only changes I made was to add minced ginger in with the garlic, used chicken broth because that’s what I had on hand and used Mae Ploy Yellow Curry Paste for a Thai/Indian fusion. This is now my favorite curry!
Just made this last night and it came out amazing! Very easy and delicious soup recipe.
We LOVED this recipe. I left out the diced tomatoes and the chili powder because i didn’t have any, and it was still amazing. A great winter comfort food dish!
This recipe is so delicious and ignited my obsession with turmeric! After making this stew 3 times in a month, I really wanted to share the recipe with others, so I recently blogged about it on A Healthier Upstate (https://www.ahealthierupstate.org/hidden-gems/hidden-gems-turmeric/) – a health and wellness blog for the upstate New York community. I wanted to thank you for inspiring this story!
Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely post, Erika! :) I’m so thrilled you loved the soup.
This is delicious! Thank you!
Hi guys,
Try this recipe it is super good and the meal was just perfect like the author said it would be!!!
Awesome recipe. Super easy to follow and tastes fantastic.
Froze half the batch which tasted just as good if not better when reheated!
Awesome! So glad it was a hit, Kelly.
Wooowww….. this was about THE most delicious dish I’ve had in a ling time!!!! Thank you SO much for this great recipe!
I added some cardamon and ginger which brought this dish to another (indian) level! Mmmmm
Just tried this for the first time today! LOVE it!!!
So happy to hear it, Kirsten!
A friend made this for me and OMG wow it’s so good!!!! Thank you for sharing the recipe :)
So glad you enjoyed it, Anna! Thanks for the love :)
Just made this last night – so yummy! I was excited to find a recipe that let me work in some turmeric — it’s a spice I’m just getting to know better. :)
I made this recipe last night and it is absolutely fantastic. I have a binder in my kitchen in which only the best recipes (the ones that make you scrape the plate or bowl for every last bit) are stored. This recipe made the cut. It will be one I look forward to making again and again. Thanks!
Aw, I’m thrilled this one made the binder, Stacey! :)
I received you wonderful cookbook as a Christmas present from my Mom and I have to say I am enjoying it immensely! I am not a confident cook and have truly loved creating your recipes AND my kids eat it up! Thank you for creating such a beautiful piece.
This recipe looks like another winner for my household!
I have a question. I made the Comforting red lentil and chickpea curry last week but found it to be dry. Is the fix to add more puréed tomatoes?
Thank you in advance for your support.
Hey Lisa, I’m so happy you and your family have been enjoying the new cookbook! That’s always so wonderful to hear. :) If you find yourself wanting a bit more moisture in your Comforting Red Lentil and Chickpea Curry, I think adding a bit more of the tomatoes is a great solution. This recipe is supposed to turn out thick and stew-like, but thinner consistencies can be lovely too! Depending on whether you use crushed or pureed tomatoes, the moisture can be a bit different for each. So you might want to try both. At the very end of cooking just add a bit more tomato at a time and adjust until your curry is the desired texture.
Thank you so much for your suggestions, Angela. I used fire roasted crushed tomatoes instead of puréed this time around and the recipe turned out fabulously! ❤
Hi Angela,
First, I’d like to mention that I LOVE your recipes. Thank you – they’ve really changed my outlook on both cooking and baking (and yes – I needed help :) Do you have a recipe for a first birthday cake? My son is turning one in a couple of weeks and I’m in need of a recipe for his cake. He hasn’t really had any sweet treats yet besides fruit, so would like him to try a cake which is delicious, with a hint ‘o healthy too! Any ideas?
Hi Raffaela, Thank you so much for the warm words, and happy birthday to your little one! I’m sorry that I haven’t shared a healthy cake option for you little one. I will definitely keep this in mind for a future recipe though!
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and just love it. It’s tasty and is the perfect comfort food.