Creamy Sweet Potato Lentil and Spinach Stew

My schedule has been a sight for sore eyes recently, between motherhood, juggling personal projects, running my business and trying to stay on top of the endless list of life admin – it’s been a lot to say the least.

And when weeks get busy, I like to keep our dinner meals simple yet hearty, one-pot and baby-friendly.

This Sweet Potato, Lentil and Spinach stew fits the bill a thousand times over. Not only is it incredibly easy to throw together, it’s nutrient dense and mouth-wateringly moreish (seriously, I dare you to just have one serving).

Why you’ll love this

• Beginner-friendly
• One-pot recipe
• High-protein
• Easily adaptable to be baby or child-friendly
• Dairy-free but still creamy

Main ingredient overview

• Brown lentils – a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fibre and iron among other micro nutrients.
• Red onions – my go-to for stews with a sweeter flavour profile but white or yellow onions would work here too.
• Garlic – The secret to why this dish is SO craveable, in my very biased opinion!
• Sweet potatoes – the perfect base veggie that’s bound to please even the pickiest eaters
• Coconut milk – a creamy dairy-free addition choc full of flavour and healthy fats
• Vegetable stock – helps to lighten the dish while adding a punch of umami. Make sure you use a low/no sodium version if making for little ones.
• Lemon juice – just the right amount of acid to cut through the natural sweetness from the potatoes and coconut milk (plus the vitamin C helps with iron absorption)
• Spinach – This recipe would absolutely work with kale or swiss chard, but I really do adore the nutty flavour spinach imparts here
• Spices, herbs and seasonings – I use oregano, salt and pepper and fresh coriander (AKA cilantro for my North American readers), but you could of course switch these up based on your personal preference.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prep all your ingredients before you cook. Cook your lentils if making from scratch, or wash and drain if using canned. Throw the sweet potatoes in the oven or air-fryer to cook. Assemble your aromatics (onion & garlic) and seasonings.

Step 2: Saute the onions and garlic until fragrant and slightly translucent.

Step 3: Add the stock, coconut milk, lentils, sweet potatoes and herbs. Allow to simmer together

Step 4: Wilt in your spinach or greens of choice, then finish with lemon juice, seasonings to taste and fresh coriander.

FAQs

Can I make this with raw sweet potatoes?

Yes! Just add approx. 4 cups of cubed, raw sweet to the broth and coconut milk first and allow to cook until just softened before adding the lentils. Once added, allow the full mixture to simmer for another 5 minutes. Note that doing so might release more water, so feel free to cook/reduce the sauce to your preferred thickness.

This recipe seems high-fat – can I skip the olive oil at the beginning?

You could totally sauté the onions and garlic in water or vegetable stock in place of olive oil. Alternatively, you could use a light coconut milk, but I prefer not to for this recipe as the creaminess really is key for flavour + texture.

I only have red lentils – will those work here?

Unfortunately, red lentils don’t hold their shape and would very quickly disintegrate in this recipe. Brown lentils are ideal but you could also experiment with par cooked green lentils (as they tend to soften faster) or French puy lentils.

How can I serve this to my baby or toddler?

Easy, just skip the salt or high-sodium veg stock (or set aside an unseasoned portion before adding seasoning to the main batch)! For babies who are still new to solids, this recipe works exceedingly well as a puree and was a definite hit with my own daughter. Now that she’s a year old, I serve this dish either gently fork mashed or chop the sweet potatoes and spinach into smaller pieces before cooking.

Storage & Meal Prep Notes

This recipe lasts 4 days in the fridge and can be frozen for a month. If you do plan to cook ahead + freeze, I recommend adding the potatoes in raw and turning off the heat when they are just about fork tender. That way, when you reheat they won’t be too mushy.

If you liked this recipe, check out some of these, too:

• Mediterranean Vegetable and Chickpea Stew
• Sweetcorn, Red Lentil and Coconut Chowder
• Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry
• Lentil Spinach and Lemon Stew

Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not share how touching it was to hit publish on my last post and immediately see familiar names in the comment section with the warmest congratulations and welcome back messages.

I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see that so many of you are still following along, cooking my recipes and forever cheering me on. This little corner of the internet is and will remain so special to me because of all of you.

I hope you’ll try this recipe, and if you do, I’d love to know! Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @onearabvegan.

Until next time, dear readers!