Creamy Thai Sweet Potatoes and Lentils Recipe - Pinch of Yum
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Creamy Thai Sweet Potatoes and Lentils

41 reviews / 4.8 average

I had an embarrassing moment today.

A two part embarrassing moment, if we’re being honest.

Part one was me running into the gas station in the rain to pick up some last minute baking supplies.   I wish that were the end of the story.

I had chocolate chips and butter in mind, but I found myself with chocolate chips and Crisco in my hands as I walked out. I don’t know if you’ve ever bought Crisco from a gas station, but I’m sure you can imagine the feelings one has walking out of such a fine place, into the rain, with an armful of canned lard.

Creamy Thai sweet potatoes and lentils in a blue bowl and on a spoon.

Part two happened when an older lady, standing in the literally freezing rain, knocked on my window to find out if I was indeed going to pump air into my tires.

I didn’t explain that, no, I didn’t know I was sitting in front of the air pump thingymajig, and yes, I was just sitting in my car, eating chocolate chips and posting a picture of it on Facebook.  I don’t think I really needed to explain anything.

I should probably learn about pumping air in my tires.

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Lentils

Creamy Thai Sweet Potatoes and Lentils


  • Author: Pinch of Yum
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x

Description

These creamy Thai sweet potatoes and lentils are so healthy and so delicious! Made with cabbage, sweet potatoes, lentils, and tomatoes, just to name a few!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup lentils, rinsed
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled and diced.
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
  • 2 jalapenos, ribs and seeds removed, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh minced ginger
  • 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
  • 2/3 cup regular coconut milk
  • cilantro for topping
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Pour lentils, broth, and sweet potatoes into a large pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer on low for 30-45 minutes, or until lentils and sweet potatoes are just barely done cooking. Add the turmeric, tomatoes and ginger to the pot and cook for another 10 minutes.
  2. Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, onions, and jalapenos. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for 10 minutes, or until cabbage is cooked through.
  3. Add cabbage to lentil pot and stir in coconut milk. Top with cilantro.

Notes

The turmeric is important because it helps with flavor, but also with bright yellow color. Without it, the color of the dish starts to look a little dull.

  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Thai

Keywords: creamy thai sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes and lentils, thai lentils

You guys.  This dish.

I don’t think I’ve ever eaten something that feels so decadently flavorful and filling for 330 calories.  It’s got sweet potatoes and lentils, coconut milk, cabbage, onions, jalapenos, and a delicious array of spices that give it a punchy color and an amazing flavor.  I.love.vegetables.today.

For all you who have been requesting a re-post of this recipe – thank you!  I almost forgot how much I absolutely adore it.

Go shorty, it’s the weekend!

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171 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What an interesting looking dish! It looks very comforting. More importantly, your story made me crack up. I’ve done the gas station run for baking supplies before. In my defense, it was snowing and the gas station was the closest store. There were cookies to be made, darnit!

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I once walked to a gas station in my pyjamas at 3am in the morning to buy a Krispy Kreme. It was one of my finest hours.

    Love the punchy flavours in this dish!

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Yum! I have a question for you – were you dipping the chocolate chips in the Crisco? That would be really, really bad. And gross. 😉
    No, the real question – I am a fresh ginger novice. You say “fresh minced ginger” above. I know you peel the ginger, and I know after you peel it, there is a nice smooth surface on the “meat”, but then on the inside it gets all weird and stringy – do you use that part too?
    This looks like a perfect way to choke down some veggies! 😉

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Good question! Sometimes I actually just buy fresh ginger paste and keep it in the fridge for a fast and easy (and texturally normal) alternative. :). For this one, I did mince the fresh ginger. I peeled it, smashed it with the back of a spoon, and minced the whole thing up. Stringy part and all. When minced and added to all this other goodness, you really can’t notice the texture – but the taste is awesome. 🙂 I love ginger!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      I know! I responded to your comment that you were there too… I was hoping you’d see it 🙂

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your story cracked me up. It has been a good long while since I used Crisco, though being the coffee fiend that I am, I can relate to going to the gas station for food items because I have ran there multiple times only for milk for my morning coffee. And….well…I don’t know how to put air in my tires, either. Anyway, your sweet potato and lentil recipe looks awesome – you used all ingredients I keep around the house all the time, so this would be a very easy dish to whip up. So yummy and nutritious!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      It does my heart good to know that normal people also frequent the gas station for the essentials. Although is Crisco really an essential? Anyways. You get what I mean. 🙂

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’m glad you have your priorities in line. I would pass no judgement on any exiting person carrying Crisco and chocolate chips!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Lentils are not really something I usually crave, but I did crave this combo all week… I could hardly wait for my lunch break every day! 🙂 goooo lentils!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    My embarrassing moment…? Admitting that I don’t actually know how to prepare or even purchase a lentil. Are they canned or dried? What kind does your recipe call for? (I always thought that lentil was a generic word for bean, like Kleenex and facial tissue.) One other question: What do I do if this recipe sounds heavenly, but tomato chunks make me gag? They are Flanagan kryptonite. BTW… I will be making your donut recipe in the morning… Another happy family memory, thanks to you.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Lentils are usually sold as dry beans. I buy them in a bag, usually next to the rice section in the store. They’re super cheap which is an added bonus! Basically you boil them till they’re cooked (like in this recipe). And as for the tomatoes, you could definitely just omit them! 🙂 you tomato hater you.

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Rainy and/or snowy… We woke up to another blanket of fresh whiteness! At least I have one bowl of this left. 🙂

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    You’re my idol, Lindsay.

    I had a bit of an embarrassing moment today too. I worked out on an empty stomach tonight and by the time I got in the car, I had no more water left and I was just about to pass out. I couldn’t go straight home because I had to pick up some spices at Whole Foods. So I somehow magically make it to Whole Foods and I’m frantically grabbing every snack I could see. I get in the car and I snag the box of butter cookies and frantically rip open it and stuff as many cookies into my mouth as possible. I take my Whole Foods bag up to the apartment and to my disappointment, one of my spices are missing. Apparently it flew out when I was taking out my bag of cookies. I still have yet to go to the car and look for it.

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This looks so delicious! I sooo miss having sweet potatoes…. What passes for sweet potatoes in this country are white and really starchy and just not very pleasant. Eat an extra bowl full for me!

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Hate to be nit-picky nor defensive of Crisco, but it’s not lard which is basically pure pork fat. Looked it up and Crisco is made from soybean oil/cottonseed oil, partially hydrogenated I read correctly. That said, I’ve bookmarked your recipe, which looks absolutely fabulous!!!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Thanks! Glad the Crisco confusion didn’t deter you from this vegan wonderfulness. 🙂

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    OMG !!!! I just made this for dinner, sometimes I just don’t need meat. This is soooooooo freaking delicious !!!!! Thanks so much for posting it 🙂 its a keeper !!! I seriously could eat the whole lot right now :D,

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I made this last night. Very hearty flavorful Dish. I only used one jalapeno, should of used 2 thinking it might be to hot for my kids. Will definitely make this again!