This sweet potato and coconut milk stew is a glowing shade of orange with vibrant pops of green from kale and cilantro. We use lots of chili and ginger in this vibrant vegan stew, along with a bunch of other spices. The flavor profile, spice combination, and recipe itself is inspired by Indian cuisine as well as Thai coconut milk-based curries. You get sweetness, spice, earthy vibes, creaminess, texture from the lentils, and a squeeze of lime rounds everything out. Fans of this will love my butternut squash stew with chickpeas & kale, which was inspired by this recipe!
The First Mess Cookbook
There is plenty of seasonal, plant-based soup and stew inspiration in my cookbook. You’ll also find vegan dinners, hearty salads and sides, and wholesome desserts.
If you count common spices as one component, this sweet potato coconut milk stew hits at around 10 ingredients. It’s very simple to make, definitely hearty, and accommodating for different dietary sensitivities. If a stew could have it all, this would be IT.
For my taste, it has just the right amount of richness from coconut milk–a real flavor bomb with a deep wholesome glow. Just the kinda thing I’m after lately. I love making it with homemade vegetable stock, but it’s not 100% necessary.
For a quicker, still satiating and flavorful lentil soup with greens, I recommend checking out my Lemony Red Lentil Soup. Just like this recipe, it’s loaded with spices and finished with zingy citrus. Another dinner recipe with similar flavors is my Harissa Coconut Lentils with Kale & Roasted Sweet Potatoes.
This remains one of the most popular recipes on the site and as you’ll see from the hundreds of reviews, it does well with a bit of improvisation! Using whatever greens you have on hand and any odds and ends works well because it has such robust flavor base.
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Ginger Sweet Potato and Coconut Milk Stew with Lentils and Kale
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
- salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ lbs (690 grams) sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup dry brown lentils, picked over
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 13.5 oz (400 ml) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (about 4 packed cups of chopped kale)
- To garnish: chopped cilantro, extra chili flakes, lime wedges, nigella seeds
Notes
- Coconut milk is naturally sweet and so are sweet potatoes. I like to go in with a lot of dried chili to balance things out, but of course add as much as you feel comfortable with.
- Chard or mustard greens would also be delicious in place of the kale.
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. Keep simmering 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 to squeeze on top, and Nigella seeds (if using).
New York winters are abysmal, damp and grey. I made your stew on a rainy Friday afternoon, starting with your lovely stock recipe. This is just what my family ( including a very picky seven year old ) needed. Thank you for adding warmth and grounding in a bowl.
PS I will be tripling both recipes next time.
OMG this soup is the bomb I had to control myself from having the hole pot I bow to you dear soup goddess I am posting it on my Instagram @caglaelagozbazley Thank you for this amazing and delicious recipe from the bottom of my heart
Can I substitute spinach for kale? I always have spinach on hand and husband doesn’t care for the texture & bitterness of kale.
Hi Meghan, You can definitely use spinach instead! It will wilt and cook faster though.
-L
I see you have several pizza dough recipes on your site, can you direct me to which you used? Thanks!
Hi Sarah,
The spelt dough in this post is my go-to: https://bright-life.today/2019/06/12/bbq-mushroom-flatbread/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> -L
Recipe sounds good. When I get all ingredients I will make this recipe.
Hi Im excited to try this but I dont use lentils too much. Im assuming we put them in dried or do we soak them before hand?
Hi Paige! The lentils go in dry.
-L
I just made this tonight and my husband and I loved it! The flavors were amazing! It came out more like a hearty soup than a stew, but great with a loaf of sourdough bread. I added some chunks of carrots as well as a millet/brown rice ramen (already cooked) to the mix. I think I might be tempted to add more carrots and sweet potatoes next time as there was more than enough liquid. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
This was such an amazing and simple recipe!! You can also just feel how much good nutrition is in it.
Thank you!! ~ Nina
This is the most delicious coconut stew I have ever made wow! Thanks for the recipe! :)
Can I use red lentils? They have a different texture and cook quickly
Yep! They will make the finished stew thicker and creamier.
-L
The recipe calls for full fat coconut milk. We are watching our fat intake so will try the awesome recipe with ‘lite’. Using Chard instead of kale but have the rest of the ingredients on hand. Can’t wait to try it!
how could this work with someone on a ‘bland’ diet. just reduce amount of spice? also, i already have cooked lentils. just put them in later?
Hi Susan,
I don’t think I can recommend making this for someone on a bland diet unfortunately. Those partaking in a bland diet generally need to avoid high fat foods (like coconut milk), lentils/all pulses, garlic, onion, anything acidic (like lime), and cruciferous vegetables like kale. Once you take out all of these things here, there isn’t much of the recipe left to go on. Might be best to search for some bland diet-specific stew recipes on Google.
-L
That’s what I thought. Thanks. But we are trying to find dietary ways to increase potassium and magnesium and bland diets don’t help at all. Sigh. But we shall try it once chemo is done and good food once again becomes an option.
I stick to bland diets. You certainly can adjust it to your needs. Maybe ask a nutritionist for help. I’d leave out chili flakes and use almond milk instead of coconut milk. Eat a smaller amount to begin with to make sure your tummy can handle it.
Pre cooked lentils would work fine.
I don’t know who you are, who you wit, or what you came to the planet to do, but this right here…….baybay, you did this. Period.
Mmm sounds wonderfully tasty, will definitely try this! Thank you
I made this a couple nights ago and had for some lunches this week. It was DIVINE! I already can’t wait to make it again. The flavor is just so lovely. I felt squeezing half a lemon at the end really made it all come together. Thanks as always!
Brittany
Just finished eating this for dinner tonight! My favourite coconut curry recipe I’ve tried yet! I used quite a bit of chopped ginger and also added some celery and half an apple to the onions. Dandelion greens were on sale in the market so I subbed that in. Thank you for sharing these excellent recipes with us Laura!
Looking forward to making this recipe this week. Searched your encore and couldn’t find one: do you have a vegan naan recipe? One in your pics look delish.
Hi AJ, I do not have a vegan naan or any other type of flatbread recipe on the site currently. The flatbread in my photos was just a bit of pizza dough that I had in the fridge, rolled out into little disks and fried on the stove in avocado oil.
-L
Wow! That’s delicious! I’ve also been loving the double chocolate hazelnut espresso shake on a daily basis. You’re so talented! Keep up the good work!
Wanted to share a photo here. Might have to do this on Pinterest.
Oh my gosh, this is SO delicious!!!! Heat from the chili flakes, sweetness from the coconut and potatoes, and spice from all the aromatics!
Winner of a stew here. Thank you for the recipe!! Will make it again for sure.
OMG this was amazing! Made it tonight. Huge hit. My sweet potato hating hubby even took seconds! Served it with some Naan. From a family trying to transition to vegetarian!
Made this today with some locally grown white sweet potatoes– didn’t get that gorgeous color (still pretty but not that sunset color)– but got all the flavor. So tasty! Took less time than I it would to make, always a plus. Perfect on a cold, windy day. I’m working on transitioning from vegetarian to vegan, and your recipes have been helping to nudge me along. Yay!
This is SO my kind of thing but my husband doesn’t care for lentils, or chickpeas which would be my first go-to alternative; do you have any suggestions for a substitution? I really want to make this but can’t justify cooking something only I will eat.
Hi Elisha,
Will your husband eat brown rice, quinoa, or other grains? You could also just add more diced vegetables (broccoli, carrots, bell peppers–lots of things would work here) to make it a more veggie-focused stew!
-L
I’m a big fan of barley and as decent cook, I bet it would work.
Definitely a 5 star recipe that will become part of my regular rotation for cold weather meals! Great that it’s so easy to make too. I increased the quantity of lentils to 1 cup, used ~ 3/4 tsp of the Diaspora chile (great spices, great company), no added salt, and collards instead of kale because that’s what I had. Also, I didn’t bother to peel the sweet potatoes, just washed them really well.
Thanks Laura for another great recipe.
One more voice chiming in to say this was delicious! Made as written and it turned out beautifully. Thanks for bringing some coziness to my home :)
I doubled all the spices and topped with pumpkin seeds (couldn’t find nigella). It turned out delicious! I’m currently warding off a virus that’s going around my workplace, so this warm rich bowl of stew was the perfect thing. Thank you!
Would this recipe work with black lentils?
Yes it would! They will take about 10-15 minutes longer to cook.
-L
This! The food and photography are all so beautiful. Everything is mouthwatering and inspiring.
Just made this after a hard day’s skiing — what a treat! Instead of the lentils I pressure cooked some red carlin peas with onion and spices and topped it off with these. Delicious!
This is SO good!
This was really really really (really) delicious. The final flavor and textures were kind of unexpected in the best way. This will be a repeat for us!
hi Laura, long time fan of your site–and love so many of your plant-based recipes. Do you think it would be ok to sub spinach for kale–or not preferable? Only asking as I have some spinach on hand that i need too use up but can easily use kale too if the flavor is a better complement…
Hi Allison! Any greens are honestly fine. I prefer hardier greens for this stew because it is quite rich, but if you have spinach on hand, that’s also great. It’s a very flexible recipe :)
-L
Wow, that looks truly amazing! So creamy and colorful! Thank you so much for this recipe
I just made this the other day and it was SO good I felt compelled to leave a comment here :) It is perfectly spicy, and comforting while still tasting fresh. The flavors are on point. Thanks for this recipe!
Gonna make this tomorrow, easy to prepare and sure yummy.
Made this last night. The only variation was using only half the coconut milk and no heat. It was really delicious. The sweetness level was just right. The sweet potatoes and lentils cooked quite fast so it completely worked for a midweek meal. Buttered tandoori bread was perfect on the side. The picture was beautiful and compelling enough to make me try it. Though I am not vegan or vegetarian, it was very satisfying. I just received your cookbook, The First Mess. I have already placed post it notes on the pages I want to try! Five stars from me!
What a STUNNING recipe. Thank you so much.
I made this last night, and added an egg plant because well there was one in the fridge that needed to be used. And it was so delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I served it with brown rice.
Beautiful looking stew! Forgive me if I missed this, but I was wondering what that lovely rolled flatbread/pita/or… is?
Thanks for all you do.
Hi Heidi,
The bread in the photo is just some rolled out disks of pizza dough that I had on hand in my fridge. I cooked them in a bit of avocado oil in a frying pan, pressing down on the dough as it cooked. Very tasty and easier than heading out to buy flatbread :)
-L
I made this tonight and it was delicious. The spice is just right. It’s earthy and tangy and comes together pretty quickly. I’m definitely keeping this in the rotation.
I made this for dinner tonight! I read the recipe this afternoon and it spoke to me. I’ve been in a cooking funk and this was just what I needed. It was perfect just as written and will be a new regular in my rotation.
Thank you for this. I just happened to have all of the ingredients, so I couldn’t help myself. I too am done with the grayness of winter. This was quite delicious and simple to prepare while I multitasked other projects during dinnertime. I high recommend all of the suggested toppings :)
One comment — the ads on this site have become so large, especially one for Fluzone High Dose. The ad completely obstructs my view and it’s very difficult to find the “x” to close the ad window. So frustrating. Not sure if you are aware.
Hi Kim,
Thank you so much for this. I’m so sorry that the ads are negatively impacting your experience of the site. Was it a pop-up style ad? If you ever see a bad ad, please feel free to take a screenshot and email it to me so that I can show it to my ad provider. From past experience, this is the clearest and fastest way to get to the root of the problem. My email is laura@thefirstmess.com
Thanks again,
-L
Oh my goodness your food satisfies my souls in so many ways!!! This is another perfect example of delicious, nourishing, big hug type goodness. Thank you!
Question: do you have a recipe for the bread you served it with?
Looks like perfect friend to that golden bowl.
Hi Eden,
Thanks so much for this. Honestly, I just had some pizza dough on hand in the fridge. So I rolled it out into little disks and cooked the disks in a bit of avocado oil in a hot frying pan, pressing the dough into the pan as it cooked.
-L
Oh what a handy dough to have on board!!
This is brilliant… Thank you so much for this idea!
Any feedback on freezing this recipe?
I just made it & it’s very tasty.
Ginger gives it a bite. So a nice sweet spicy balance.
I do wish the liquid reduced more, but that’s okay
I was looking forward to making this as soon as it was posted, as I knew I had all the ingredients at home (including the diaspora chilli and turmeric ) and it looked TASTY and also EASY. Holy yum! So quick to prepare and SOOO GOOD, I’ll def be making this one again!
So glad that you enjoyed it, Lauren! Those Diaspora Co. spices really do make a difference :)
-L
Do nigella seeds need to be ground, or can they be used whole Thank you!
I used them whole purely as a garnish here.
-L
This looks amazing! But sweet potatoes are way too sweet for me. What’ a good substitution? Butternup squash?
Thanks!
Any winter squash would be great!
-L
I’ve got a butternut squash sitting on the counter and kale growing in the greenhouse that should be delicious in this stew! I’m always happy to find recipes that make use of my winter veggies. Thank you!
It looks heavenly!! I can’t wait to try it.
This sounds perfect for a winter day, thanks so much!
This looks incredible!!! Any idea on nutritional info? Calories or fat content? Thank you!
Hi Jill,
I approach food purely from a feel-good perspective. It’s about the pleasure and the relaxation of cooking for me. If nutrition information is important for your lifestyle, there are lots of free online nutrition calculators and apps available that are super simple and quick to use.
Thanks!
Laura
Thanks so much for your reply, Laura! I totally understand. I love your recipes and will do a quick look up for the sake of my tracking (I can sometimes love food too much). :)
This was so delicious
For anyone taking a look down in the comments and curious as well, or if you’ve not made it yet I placed it in myfitnesspal:
For 6 servings
calories 202
protein 10.4g
fat 10.4g (saturated = 9.6g, poly .3g, mono .3g)
carb 21.5g (fiber 8.8g, sugars 3.8g)
Sodium 343.1mg (rough estimate, varies on stock or broth used or salt amount added)
Cholesterol 0
High in calcium, potassium, vitamin A, Vitamin C, and iron.
Definitely adding it to my menu~
Thx!
Is that 202 cals per serve?
Omg this was truly delicious, thank you so much for sharing. I did not have coriander seeds to grind, substituted curry.
Thanks so much for this entirely-refreshing response!
LOVE this approach and answer.
This looks so delicious! I love soups! I may have to make this tonight for dinner :)
Can I use ground ginger? Fresh ginger is too expensive here. Can I use red lentils? That’s all I have. Can I use pumpkin instead of sweet potatoes? I don’t like the taste of sweet potatoes.
It sounds like a totally different dish.
You could substitute 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger in this stew, but it will taste quite different/possibly hotter and more bitter. Red lentils are also fine to use, but they will cook faster and start to break down, which will ultimately thicken the stew a bit more. Pumpkin is a great substitute for sweet potatoes.
-L
I used pink lentils. Tastes wonderful. I think any substitutions will be fine. Recipes are a guide more than anything – at least to me they are. It’s soooo good.
I used ground ginger it still tasted great
I didn’t have any sweet potatoes, and we don’t eat potatoes, so I skipped them. Doubled the lentils and used curry powder because I didn’t have any turmeric It WAS FANTASTIC. I cubed up one zucchini to add a bit more veggies and used a ton of kale. I swear my kids loved it and the flavors are fabulous. This is a great recipe! I love the seasonings.
I made this with ginger powder and yellow and red lentils. Due to the limited shopping the market was picked cleaned. It did come out really good. The red lentils did get a bit mushy. The yellow lentils held up better. The powder gringer was just as tasty.
I subbed 1/2tsp ground ginger and the garlic with 1/2tsp ground garlic, i also subbed acorn squash for the potato… (i was saving the potato for sweet potato brownies and acorn squash are also mildy sweet and potato-y). Fab recipe, very hearty, great flavour!