Katie Lee Biegel's Slow-Cooker Lentil Stew Looks So Good, Fans Say They're "Having It for Dinner Tonight"
Getty Images / Mike Coppola
At the end of a chilly day, there's nothing more rewarding than opening up your slow cooker and finding a steamy, flavorful meal waiting under the lid. Whether you're in the mood for a bowl of soup or a decadent dinner, you can turn to the slow cooker for a delicious and hands-off meal.
Related: 3 Ways Your Slow Cooker Can Help You Get Healthier
If you're looking for your next slow-cooked meal, you may want to try Katie Lee Biegel's new recipe for Slow-Cooker Red Lentil Squash Coconut Curry Stew. Based on a recipe from her 2021 cookbook, It's Not Complicated (buy it: $16, Amazon), this stew is packed with flavor and plenty of fresh veggies. And now that Biegel has adapted it for the slow cooker, this two-step recipe is perfect for busy days.
The recipe calls for one diced yellow onion, one diced carrot, one diced celery stalk, two garlic cloves, fresh ginger, two cups of cubed butternut squash, curry powder, red lentils, one can of diced tomatoes, a bay leaf, one quart of vegetable stock, a can of coconut milk and fresh spinach. To make the stew, Biegel adds all of the ingredients—except the spinach—to a slow cooker, seasons with salt and pepper and stirs everything together. She cooks the mixture on high for 4 hours with the lid on. When there's only 20 minutes of cooking time left, she stirs in the spinach and covers the pot again.
Related: Katie Lee Biegel Swears by These 5 Kitchen Tools for Easier Cooking
Biegel suggests serving up the stew with a dollop of plain yogurt, some fresh cilantro, hot sauce and lime juice. Or, to keep the stew vegan, you can skip the yogurt or replace it with a dairy-free alternative. As long as you keep in ingredients like lentils and butternut squash, you'll have a pretty healthy meal on your hands. Fiber-packed lentils are among our favorite weight loss-friendly ingredients, while butternut squash offers vitamins A, B and C.
If you really want to mimic her style, you can pick up the equipment she uses from your local Bed Bath & Beyond, since Biegel has a partnership with the store. In the video, Biegel uses a travel-friendly Crock-Pot Design Series 7-Quart Slow Cooker in Mushroom (buy it: $70, Bed Bath & Beyond), which has sturdy clips on the lid to prevent spills. She also uses items from the store's Our Table line, including an 18-piece knife block set (buy it: $65, Bed Bath & Beyond), a wood cutting board ($32, Bed Bath & Beyond) and a set of wooden spoons (buy it: $26, Bed Bath & Beyond).
If you want a similar recipe you can make on your stovetop, our hearty Squash & Red Lentil Curry recipe comes pretty close—and we have plenty more tasty lentil soup recipes to offer, from our Red Lentil Soup with Saffron to our Vegan Lentil Stew. No matter which recipe you choose, you're sure to enjoy this warm and cozy plant-based meal.
