Butternut Squash Red Lentil Stew
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Published Feb 28, 2019, Updated Jul 24, 2023
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This butternut squash lentil stew features red lentils, coconut milk and a robust blend of spices. Recipe has instructions for the slow cooker or stovetop.
It’s the perfect time of year for this cozy stew. It feels like spring should be right around the corner, but my guess is that half of the U.S. is still covered in snow and doesn’t feel like spring is anywhere near. So for those of you battling cold temps and wanting a simple dinner that will warm you up from the inside out, this stew is for you.
This veggie-packed stew is inspired by my butternut squash and turkey chili, which is cooked in the Instant Pot. I LOVE this chili so much, but recently wanted to try a completely vegetarian version with extra red lentils and this was the result. It’s so warm, comforting and amazing filling for a vegetarian meal. I love the combo of red lentils with butternut squash, and the unique combo of spices in this soup make it so delicious. I can’t wait for you to try it!
I know cooking lentils can be a little intimidating, but this method could not be simpler. I’ll answer some FAQs below, but don’t hesitate to leave a comment if you have any additional questions!
Can You Put Dried Lentils in a Slow Cooker?
Yes! You can put dried, uncooked lentils in a slow cooker with liquid and they will cook through. For this recipe, you’ll put all of your ingredients for the stew in the slow cooker and it’ll work its magic.
Do You Have to Soak Lentils Before Slow Cooking?
Nope! Lentils are the one of the only dry beans that you don’t need to soak before cooking. You can soak them if you want to speed up the cooking process, but it’s not necessary. On thing to note: You should always rinse your lentils before cooking just to clean them off and remove any stones, debris or shriveled lentils. Once rinsed and sorted, drain and use as directed in the recipe.
Can You Overcook Lentils?
Yes, you can overcook lentils. It’s not as easy to notice with red lentils because they’re softer than green or brown lentils, but when lentils are overcooked they end up getting super soft and mushy. Follow the directions in this recipe to make sure you don’t end up with mushy lentils from overcooking.
How to make Vegetarian Slow Cooker Stew
The ingredient list for this recipe might look long and intimidating, but almost half of the ingredients are spices you probably already have in your spice cabinet, so don’t stress!
- Sauté: Start by sautéing the chopped onion and garlic in a saucepan (or your slow cooker if it’s stovetop safe!) and add in the spices. I love seasoning multiple layers of a dish – it makes for awesome flavor!
- Slow cook: Next, add your sautéed onion and garlic to the slow cooker along with the butternut squash, broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste, and apple cider vinegar. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6. You’ll know it’s ready when the lentils and butternut squash are soft and cooked through. Feel free to taste test to make sure.
- Enjoy: Once the stew is cooked through, you’ll stir in your spinach (if using) and let it sit for a couple of minutes so the greens get a little wilted. Then it’s ready to serve! Enjoy on its own or serve over brown rice or quinoa if you’d like.
Love Lentils? Try These Other Tasty Lentil Recipes:
- Mediterranean Lentil Salad
- Kale Sweet Potato Lentil Salad
- Lentil Tuna Salad
- Roasted Garlic Lentil Soup
- Vegan Lentil Loaf
- Lentil Meatballs
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Butternut Squash Red Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 5 cups)
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 – 14 oz can light coconut milk
- 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2-3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 cups chopped spinach, optional
- chopped cilantro and sliced green onions, for garnish
- cooked brown rice or quinoa, optional
Instructions
Slow Cooker:
- Add oil to a sauce pan or the base of your slow cooker (if it’s stove-top safe) and sauté onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Add spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper) and cook for an additional minute.
- Combine sautéed veggies, butternut squash chunks, veggie broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar together in your slow cooker. Top with lid and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, or until lentils and butternut squash are soft and cooked through.
- Add in spinach, stir and let stew sit for a couple minutes to allow the greens to wilt.
- Portion stew into bowls, top each bowl with fresh cilantro and green onions before serving. You can also serve the stew over brown rice or quinoa if you’d like.
Stovetop:
- Add oil to a large stockpot. Once hot, add onion and garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper) and cook for an additional minute.
- Add butternut squash chunks, veggie broth, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar to the pot.
- Bring mixture to a boil. Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium and simmer the stew uncovered for about 30-35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the butternut squash is fork-tender and the lentils are cooked, reduce heat to low.
- Add in spinach, stir and let stew sit for a couple minutes to allow the greens to wilt.
- Portion stew into bowls, top each bowl with fresh cilantro and green onions before serving. You can also serve the stew over brown rice or quinoa if you’d like.
Instant Pot:
- Add oil to the base of your Instant Pot and sauté onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes. Add spices (turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, sea salt and pepper) and cook for an additional minute before pouring in vegetable broth.
- Add in butternut squash chunks, tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, tomato paste and apple cider vinegar. Press Cancel, lock the lid in place and move the pressure valve to Sealing. Select Pressure Cook or Manual; make sure the pressure level is set to High. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes. When pressure cooking is complete, allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 5 minutes, then release the remaining steam by moving the pressure valve to Venting. Press Cancel, then carefully open the pot.
- Add in spinach, stir and let stew sit for a couple minutes to allow the greens to wilt.
- Portion stew into bowls, top each bowl with fresh cilantro and green onions before serving. You can also serve the stew over brown rice or quinoa if you’d like.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I absolutely love this recipe! Have made it for friends and family and it always gets a good response. Especially at this time of the year when it’s cold and dark outside. One question, if we have leftovers how long do you think it would keep in an airtight container in the fridge?
Hi Ruth – I am so happy to hear that you are loving this recipe. Leftovers should stay good in an airtight container for about a week. Enjoy!
I made this on a cold blustery Monday and it was delicious.
Yum! I am so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Deb. Thank you so much for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!
Where I live it’s hard to find butternut squashes… can I substitute with another type of squash (ie. pumpkin?)
That should work just fine! I bet sweet potato would also be delicious. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out for you.
Hi there. I’m looking to make this and don’t have a can of diced tomatoes on hand and prefer not to use canned anyway. Do you think this would work if I used a tomato sauce instead of the canned tomatoes? Or should I pick up and dice fresh tomatoes? Thanks!
Hi Julz – I have not tested this recipe without the diced tomatoes, but the recipe should still turn out great if you choose to omit them all together, but fresh tomatoes would work as well. You shouldn’t have to add tomato sauce. Let me know which route you choose to take when you make this and how it turns out. I am looking forward to it!
I followed as directed but the lentils stayed crunchy. Otherwise a great recipe.
Oh no! The lentils shouldn’t have stayed crunchy. You maybe have needed to cook the stew longer! Glad it was tasty otherwise!
This is seriously my favorite fall soup! It’s warm and cozy and the spice combination is delicious! I actually only had 1/2 the amount of butternut squash so I subbed in cauliflower for the remainder of the squash. I made it in my Ninja and used a potato masher to smash the large chunks of squash/cauliflower after it was cooked. The finished product tasted awesome! Thanks for the great recipe.
Yay!! So happy to hear this recipe was a hit, Katie! Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
I have made this many times and the whole family LOVES it!
One question- I only have green lentils. Will that work as a sub?
Thank you for the amazing recipe! 🙂
So glad this recipe is a hit!! That should be fine, but the texture and flavor might vary a bit. Green lentils hold their shape more than red so there might be more texture to the stew. Let me know how it turns out for you!!
Hi, I am super excited to make this recipe, but was wondering if it can be fully cooked and then frozen? Trying to find some go to meals for the freezer that I can just take out and heat up on the stove. Thanks!
Yes, this stew is freezer-friendly!
Can it be done in the pressure cooker? I have a slow cooker but I kind of enjoy having my meal prep done in 30 minutes.
Hey Justine – I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would be just fine! I would follow the same instructions for my instant pot garlic lentil soup recipe.
This is so good. I made it on the stove. It is just delicious. Thank you!
Ahh yay!! I’m pumped to hear you enjoyed this stew, Elyse. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it. 🙂