Autumn Lentil Dahl with Beet Greens

Beets are ripe in the gardens here and the greens are HUGE! They take up so much room in the refrigerator that using them straight away is always our plan. They’re the perfect greens to use in this hearty, high-protein lentil dahl recipe.

If you’re not a super-fan of lentils yet, give this recipe a try. It’s filled with warming, immune-boosting Indian spices, and creamy coconut milk. The lime juice and spices added at the end perfect the blend.

You can use your favorite lentils in this vegan dahl recipe. We don’t recommend urad dahl or chana dahl unless you want to cook your vegan dahl an extra 30 minutes. Red and green lentils are common in U.S. stores, and you can often find the darker, shiny French lentils too. A variety of lentils makes for a more complex flavor and texture.

You’ll notice that some of the spices are cooked with the lentils and some are added at the end.  If you’re looking to save time you can add all spices to the lentils, and use ground spices.

If you want to experience a more traditional Indian vegan dahl, you’ll follow the instructions to heat the whole spices in oil and then add this and the lime juice at the end of the cooking process. This gives you a more fresh spice flavor.

Serve it over rice, couscous, quinoa, barley… or just serve it as a soup! We served it with large couscous because the boys love them. 

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Autumn Lentil Dahl with Beet Greens Recipe

Prep

• 1-hour prep
• Serves 6
• Suggested equipment: 1 large pot, 1 small saucepan

Ingredients

• 2 tsp oil for sautéing
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp of freshly grated ginger
• 1 tbsp fresh grated turmeric root or 2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 5 cups vegetable broth (we used bouillon)
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup red lentils, toor dahl, moong dal, black or green lentils
• 4 cups packed chopped beet greens and stems

For tempering:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Juice of 1 lime (2 tbsp)
• Optional: nutritional yeast garnish. We also like to add a Kimchi Hot Sauce so our individual needs for heat are met at the table.

Instructions

1. Sauté the onions in about 1 Tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and coriander and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the full can of coconut milk, vegetable broth, and lentils. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and heat until they start to pop. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. If you’re serving this with a grain, get that cooking now too.
6. Juice your lime and set the juice aside.
7. After the lentils cook for 30 minutes or until they are fully cooked, add your beet greens. Stir them in, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes.
8. Add the mixture of oil, mustard, and cumin seeds and the lime juice to the pot. Stir and serve.

Chef's Notes 

Like many of our family-friendly recipes, this one is flexible too. Use the types of lentils you prefer and use the greens you prefer. You can also add more vegetables of your choosing.

We hope you love this Vegan Autumn Lentil Dahl with Beet Greens recipe as much as we do! If you have an article or recipe requests, let us know on our Facebook page: Your Vegan Family. While you're there, please like our page and share our posts!

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Vegan Autumn Lentil Dahl with Beet Greens Recipe Grocery List: 

• onion
• garlic cloves
• fresh ginger
• lime 
• beet greens and stems
• turmeric root or ground turmeric
• ground coriander
• mustard seeds
• cumin seeds
• nutritional yeast (optional)
• salt
• red lentils, toor dal, moong dal, black lentils, or green lentils
• Kimchi Hot Sauce (optional)
• oil (olive or coconut)
• full fat coconut milk
• vegetable broth

Autumn Lentil Dahl with Beet Greens Recipe Nutritional Analysis

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutritional calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. When exact ingredients are not available in this database, the closest substitution is made. 

Percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet for an adult. 

(nutritional label, energy pie chart, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, lipids)

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