This slow cooker butternut squash lentil curry is creamy and flavored with warm spices, butternut squash, coconut milk and lime juice! Works great as a comforting vegan dinner, or for meal prep.
This slow cooker butternut squash lentil curry is a reader favorite around here! Not only is it super easy to get on to cook (no sauteeing!), but it tastes amazing and is hard to screw up.
Inspired by my favorite Red Lentil Dal recipe, this version has butternut squash, which adds a little bit of sweetness, coconut milk, which makes it richer and adds a little coconutty flavor, and lime, which brings out all the flavors.
This curry also happens to be one of my favorite meal prep lunch recipes: makes a big batch and is easy to portion out with rice and freeze for later. It's filling, but healthy, and I love that it's vegan, as we are making an effort to consume less meat these days.
Reasons you'll ♡ butternut squash lentil curry
- it's a 'dump and go' slow cooker meal
- it freeze/thaws great (before or after cooking!)
- it is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this curry. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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What's in this curry?
- Red lentils- use dried red lentils. This recipe has not been tested with green or brown lentils and probably won't work with pre-cooked canned lentils (unless you want soup)
- Butternut squash- 4 cups, which is roughly half a butternut squash. You could use frozen pre-cut butternut squash cubes as a shortcut!
- Aromatics- onion, garlic and ginger.
- Canned goods- diced tomatoes + juices and coconut milk. Use a good quality full fat coconut milk for the best results! Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk has never let me down.
- Spices- curry powder, cumin, ground coriander, garam masala and salt
- Stock- use vegetable stock for a vegan recipe or homemade bone broth
- Lime juice- to stir in before serving to bring a bit of acidity and make all the other flavors pop!
Can I cook this in the Instant Pot?
Yes, you can! While I have not tried this myself, reader Patricia recommends a 4 minute cook time with a 10 minute natural pressure release.
Can I swap the butternut squash for something else?
I think sweet potatoes would work well as a replacement.
Can I skip the coconut milk in this recipe?
I have not tested this without the coconut milk. I *think* you could leave it out, and add in some cream or yogurt at the end of the cook time, but I am unsure of how this may alter the flavor. If you try it without the coconut milk, please leave us a comment below to tell us how it tasted!
Tips for the best curry!
- half batch- this recipe makes 8 servings. Leftovers do freeze, but if you want to cut it in half, you can cook it in a small 2.5 quart slow cooker.
- mash it- after cooking, I take a potato masher and mash until it's creamy and smooth. This is totally optional.
- shortcut- use pre cut frozen butternut squash to save time on prep
- meal prep- this can be meal prepped in one of two ways:
- freezer crockpot- assemble all ingredients (except for the stock and lime juice) in a sturdy gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out air and freeze for up to 3 months.
- cook ahead- cook as directed, cool, and portion out with rice. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Find my favorite slow cookers and other kitchen equipment in my shop!
More vegan slow cooker recipes
- Vegan Crockpot Chili
- Vegan African Peanut Stew
- Vegan Slow Cooker Tikka Masala
- Crockpot Broccoli Turmeric Soup
- Spicy Slow Cooker Chickpea Chili
This recipe was originally published in 2016. It has been re-written and published in 2019 with a brand new video! Same great recipe.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils (dried; uncooked)
- 4 cups butternut squash (peeled, seeds scooped out, and cubed; roughly ½ of a large butternut squash)
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger (grated or finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 13.5 oz coconut milk (1 can; 400mL- use full fat)
- 19 oz diced tomatoes (1 can; 540mL; see *notes; including juices)
- 3 cups stock
After cooking
- ½ lime (juiced)
- salt (if needed)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for lime juice in the base of a large slow cooker and cook low 8 for hours.
- Add salt & lime, adjust to taste.
- Mash everything up with a potato masher or serve as is.
Storage
- After cooking, butternut squash lentil curry may be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Freezer Crockpot Meal:
- Combine all ingredients except for the stock in a gallon-sized freezer bag, reusable silicone bag, or large meal prep container. Remove as much air as possible.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw completely, then add to the base of a 5 quart slow cooker with the stock. Cook on low for 8 hours
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.
Kathleen says
This was yummy… I had no coconut milk so use regular milk and I’m sure that affected the flavor but it was still tasty! I made it in my instant pot… 25 minutes then NPR, delicious!
Denise says
This is on my to do list to try in my IP! So glad you tried it out. Thanks for reporting back 😀
Christina PJ says
Made this yesterday - apart from adding more salt at the end, using fresh instead of canned tomatoes (was out) and adding a minced jalopeño for a bit more heat, I followed the recipe exactly. Maybe the fresh tomatoes produced more liquid, but I had to let it boil on high with the lid off for a while to let some of the liquid evaporate. Was really good and hearty and with Basmati rice and Nan bread the perfect dinner for a FREEZING and snowy winter evening. Having it for lunch again as I type this. YUM!
Denise says
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it! I've been freezing it with some rice in meal prep containers and it makes for a great lunch...I think the flavors get better as it sits, too. Thanks for your comment, Christina!
Anne says
Nice 'soft' lentil curry! Easy to prep, and even more easier to cook 🙂
Denise says
Thanks Anne! Glad you liked it 🙂
Ellie says
Having this for dinner, very tasty! I think this is the first time I've made curry at home that actually tastes like curry, so I will definitely be using this recipe again and trying different additions. I think eggplant instead of squash, and adding chickpeas and/or cauliflower would be great.
I did a couple of small modifications based on what I had; chicken stock instead of vegetable, green lentils instead of red, and added some tomato paste to make up for a smaller can of divorced tomatoes. Needed a bit more salt but otherwise I thought the spice levels were perfect. I used my immersion blender to make it a bit creamer. Also I think next time I'll add the coconut cream at the end so it doesn't separate as much.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Denise says
So glad you enjoyed it, Ellie! I thought it needed more salt the last time I tried it. I will update the recipe 🙂 Thanks for reporting back!
mariela gomez says
I used acorn squash, and Chickpea lentils... Yummy! Trying to figure out how many servings it makes though as I'm tracking my food. Any thoughts on serving size for your nutritional information?
Denise says
Not sure on the exact serving size but this recipe makes 8 portions. Hope that helps!
Lena says
Loved this!
Arianna says
Hi there! Can I cook this in the slow cooker on high for a shorter amount of time? Thank you!
Lisa Hansen says
How did you cut up the squash? Do you peel it? Those things are tough to cut and it's raw- correct?
Denise says
Hi Lisa! Yes, you cut and peel the squash, after scooping out the seeds (I will modify the recipe to include the peeling and scooping out the seeds part). This part is a bit labor intensive, but I've recently discovered frozen cubed butternut squash and am testing it out in this recipe! It definitely made the prep way easier 🙂
Lisa says
Is that something you buy? Is there an " easy" way to peel and cut?
Denise says
Yes, I found mine in the frozen food aisle of the Canadian Superstore (not sure where you are but if in the US I'm sure you'll be able to find somewhere). I also found this video and have been meaning to try out her technique: https://www.facebook.com/welldonefood/videos/1415807818515186/?hc_ref=ARTnnCbExDcWRi63IoFiis33OBGAIs2-H8ivL5mHwfCZ8u44C3t_OQg64par4tzUL1k
Kellye says
I'm making this recipe now and my house smells so good! I've been waiting for butternut squash to come back into season so could finally mak it. I have a question, it's been in the slow cooker for 7.5 hours and the butternut squash is still in cubes. Do I need to mash it up, raise the heat or maybe leave it in longer? Thanks!
Denise says
Hi Kellye! I'm surprised your butternut is still in cubes. I'd mash it in, personally 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Cindy says
This recipe was so tasty. I added some chopped spinach at the end of he cooking time. So delicious. This recipe will become a regular dish for me. It was so easy too.
Thanks so much for the great recipe.
Denise says
Hi Cindy! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Niki says
I can't wait to try this recipe!! I just can't seem to find a 19 oz can of coconut milk or tomatoes.... is it supposed to be one 9 oz can?? Sorry so confused!! Your trip to Nepal looked amazing! My husband and I plan on going next year!
Denise says
Hi Niki, I'm in Canada so it's possible we have different sized cans here? I often use Aylmer brand, which comes in 540mL cans. As for the coconut milk that appears to be a typo, I use 400mL Thai kitchen brand cans. So that should say 13.5 I will update the recipe asap 🙂 I hope you enjoy Nepal! I'm sure it has changed a lot since I visited but I would love to go back one day.
Sabine says
I also can only find 400 gram tomato cube cans (14.5oz). Is that about the same as your size can? Or should I use 1 and a half can? I am from the Netherlands and the weather is turning to fall here finally. This will be the perfect comfort food with naan or maybe some couscous.
Denise says
HI Sabine, so sorry I seem to have missed your question! I think 14.5 oz should be just fine. Hope you enjoy!
Kim says
I made it this weekend, and highly recommend it! Added a sweet potato, and cut back on the amount of lentils. I also used more spice than the recipe called for because I love the flavours (1 tsp where it notes 3/4 tsp). Finally, I added the coconut milk during the last 30 minutes of cooking as it tends to separate if cooked for much longer.
Thank you!!
Denise says
Hi Kim! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for reporting back 🙂
Evan says
Followed this exact recipe and it turned out so good! Love the way the butternut squash melts in and creates a creamy goodness. Even better the second day!
Denise says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it Evan! Thanks so much for reporting back 🙂
Geraldine | Green Valley Kitchen says
Wow - Nepal at 15 - that's pretty amazing. What a wonderful trip that you'll remember for your whole life. Love the balance of earthiness and sweet with the lentils and butternut squash - this is my idea of comfort food served over a big bowl of rice - perfect for a cold day, Denise!
Ashley - The Recipe Rebel says
That is such a crazy awesome opportunity! I went a few places when I was in high school, but never that far and never for that long! This is the perfect twist on a classic (and it's made in the slow cooker!)!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I saw a few of your photos you posted on social media from your trip to Nepal, so it is really cool to come here today and read more about your trip!! I can't imagine getting the chance to visit another country without my parents at such a young age, but it is amazing that your parents were so trusting! Seriously, talk about the trip of a lifetime! Anyways, I am seriously swooning over this curry! The flavors sound awesome and I LOVE that you used b.squash (my favs!)! This looks just perfect, girlfriend!! Cheers!
Kelly says
What an incredible experience! That is awesome that you had the opportunity to go to Nepal! And I LOVE these photos and this curry! It looks and sounds SO flavorful and delicious!
DessertForTwo says
YUM! And love these photos!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
What an amazing trip that sounds like! So awesome that you got to have that experience. 🙂 And oh man, curry is totally my LOVE language so this gorgeous dish is calling my name! Love all that butternut squash goodness!
marcie says
That trip to Nepal does sound like the trip of a lifetime, and I love the photos you shared! This looks like a great slow cooker twist on a classic dish and I know I would love this!