My husband went to a concert on Monday night (Béla Fleck & The Flecktones at Tower Theatre, if you must know), so I was left to my own devices in the dinner department. Usually I won’t cook just for myself, but I decided to take advantage of Ed being gone and make a meal with ingredients that he mostly doesn’t care for: kale, quinoa and lentils. Enter in a classic, creamy curry!

This recipe yields a good amount—I purposefully made a big portion so I could eat leftovers for lunch throughout the week—so feel free to cut the ingredients in half or even in thirds if you don’t want a bunch extra. Red pepper flakes add just enough heat to this dish, and fresh ginger elevates it to a delectable level. It’s 100% vegan and gluten free, too! If you’re feeling adventurous, I recommend drizzling the finished product with a swirl of sriracha. All in all, this recipe is definitely going into my meal prep rotation.

INGREDIENTS

2 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 T. fresh ginger, minced
1/2 t. salt
1 T. curry powder
1 T. turmeric
2 t. cumin
2 t. red pepper flakes
1 t. cayenne pepper
3 T. nutritional yeast
1 T. low-sodium soy sauce
6 c. vegetable broth
2 c. uncooked brown lentils
1 c. uncooked quinoa
1 - 15 oz. can light coconut milk
4 c. chopped kale
Juice of one lime
Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

STEPS

1) Add the olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions just start to brown, about five minutes.

2) Add the curry powder, turmeric, chili flakes, cayenne salt and cumin to the veggie mixture and toss well to coat. Allow to cook for an additional minute.

3) Pour in the vegetable broth, lentils and quinoa, then stir in the nutritional yeast and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4) Add the coconut milk and stir well to combine. Simmer for another 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5) Chop the kale or tear it into pieces and add to the pot, stirring and simmering until the kale is wilted. Add the lime juice and fresh cracked black pepper and stir well to combine. Serve warm.