
Leftovers are the best.
A “free”, delicious meal without the work? I’ll take it.
Unless of course you don’t know what to do with the leftovers and they die a slow death in the fridge. One day you walk into the kitchen gasping, “What IS that smell!?” only to open the fridge and find those leftovers, shoved to the back of the fridge to die.
My casserole now needs a hair cut and the black beans have morphed into stink bombs.
It happens to the best of us.
I vowed to use up my roasted squash leftover from my Butternut Mac ‘n Cheeze recipe! Last night, I found a recipe for a Red Lentil Squash Curry on Martha and used that as my inspiration for this stew. With my butternut already roasted this meal came together in about 25 minutes.
Leftovers turned into a new recipe? Even better.

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Red Lentil and Squash Curry Stew
Inspired by Martha.
Yield: ~4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp good quality curry powder (or more to taste)
- 1 carton broth (4 cups) I used low-sodium
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 cups cooked butternut squash
- 1 cup greens of choice
- Fresh grated ginger, to taste (optional)
- Kosher salt & black pepper, to taste (I used about 1/2 tsp salt)
1. In a large pot, add EVOO and chopped onion and minced garlic. Sautee for about 5 minutes over low-medium heat.
2. Stir in curry powder and cook another couple minutes. Add broth and lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
3. Stir in cooked butternut squash and greens of choice. Cook over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and add some freshly grated ginger to taste.
Note: If you have uncooked butternut to use, check out Martha’s recipe for cooking instructions.
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You start by sautéing a sweet onion and a few cloves of minced garlic. After about 5 minutes or so, add in your curry powder.

Next comes 1 container of broth. If you are using a low-sodium broth like I did, you will need to add more salt and vice versa.

In goes 1 cup of red lentils.

Cook this mixture over medium heat for about 10 minutes until it thickens up.

Now stir in your cooked butternut and some greens if you’d like. I simply used what was leftover from my Butternut Mac ‘n Cheeze recipe. If you have uncooked butternut to use, check out Martha’s recipe for cooking instructions.

Cook another 5 minutes and serve!

A quick, stick-to-your-bones stew with a kick of heat.

And that 5-minute cheeze sauce recipe I promised you? It’s still in my test kitchen. There’s a chance it could die there.
I loved this! So much that I made it again a couple weeks after the first time. To vary the leftovers a little I added garam masala or some sriracha sauce. I will be making this again. Healthy, delicious and comforting.
I finally had to quit using store-bought broths because I couldn’t find one that agreed with my tummy. Now if I don’t have time to make homemade, I simply replace any called for in a recipe with plain filtered water and add some extra seasoning, like pink Himalayan salt or Bragg’s Aminos. I may be missing some flavor but no longer notice it, and my creations feel more wholesome and home-made to me. But caution to anyone trying it, it may not be your “cup of broth.”
This recipe is delicious!!! Very hearty, healthy comfort food.
I subbed red lentils for green lentils and just simmered it for 15 minutes longer and it tastes amazing.
Definitely try this one.
I will be making this in the crockpot next week. I will let you know how it turns out!
This was quite nice. The thing I love about stews in general is that they can be so versatile. So just like your adaptation of Martha’s recipe, I adapted yours to what I had on hand. Specifically I used 1 cup of coconut milk in place of broth because it was open and needed to be used. Plus, I just love curry and coconut milk together. I also pre-roasted my squash in the oven and used leeks instead of regular onion. Thanks for a good base recipe, I had to force myself to stop eating it. ;-)
Did you soak the lentils before cooking them? Or do you just add them in as is… Thanks!
Love the sound of this recipe! Do you think it will freeze?
I don’t think I’ve tried freezing it, but I don’t see why not.
Holy cow! This was soo good. I’m making it for the second time tonight, and doubling the recipe this time. The last time I made it, I ate it up in a day. Super quick and left me wanting it again!! Thanks : )
Just made this for our meatless meal day. It was awesome! The picky 7-year-old not only ate it, but even asked me what was cooking when it was just onions, garlic and curry powder. Just a tip for parents, while the heat from the curry was minor to the adult palate, you might want to reduce it a bit for kid palates.
Do you have the nutritional facts and serving size? thanks!
I need the nutritional information also. Is it possible to post please?
Oh my gosh this is delicious. I took a package of Beyond Meat “chicken”, pulsed it in my food processor a few times and added that. WOW. I don’t remember the last time my husband kept talking about how great was dinner long after we’d finished eating. Thanks so much for sharing, this will be a staple in our house for sure!
This recipe is amazing!!! My new go to dinner!!
Wow, that looks great, must try this, maybe more spicy with chilis and sage – and without curry.
My partner and I have just started eating vegan (vs. vegetarian) and Oh She Glows has been immensely helpful. Everything we’ve made so far from you site has ended up in the “Tested Keepers” recipe folder.
Last night was the squash and blackbean burrito; tonight was this stew. Both were fantastic, fresh, flavourful, and filling dishes. I don’t normally comment, but these two recipes were remarkably good. We both look forward to working our way through many more of your recipes.
Many thanks!
So glad I stumbled upon this just before the winter is out. My wife will be delighted with this. Great idea for a recipe!
So I made this recipe last night thinking this is nice and easy…should be good, and Wow! It really packs a punch! I added lots of grated fresh Ginger Root – some finely grated, and some grated heavier as when you’d do carrots – and it was absolutely delicious combined with the curry and veggies, and with lots of zing! My husband wanted a second helping! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Hey there, I’m so glad the recipe was a hit!! :)
LOVE this recipe! So delicious, easy, filling.
Hi Emily, I’m glad you enjoyed it!:)
Love the recipies and app. I have been a veggie for years. Recently I have elimated most dairy due to health factors. I made this dish for my lunch during the week but it turned out more like a soup. Is that right? It still tastes good. I added a little cumin as well. I followed the cup measurements exactly.
Lentils and squash sound so wonderful. Something else you can do with left over squash – mashed, is put it in an omlet – delish!
I just made this with my leftover roast acorn squash. Totally delicious and doable on a weeknight!!