One-Pot Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry [Vegan, Oil-Free, Quick & Easy!]

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It's starting to feel like fall here in Washington and I find myself craving sweet potatoes now more than ever before. I especially love sweet potato in curries with warming spices like turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne pepper. All you need is one pot and roughly 30 minutes later you have a cozy bowl of delicious food to snuggle up with. 

I've been experimenting a lot lately with adding nut butters into savory stews and curries, which if you haven't tried it before it may sound a little weird, but I promise it works! It gives savory dishes the best creamy texture with no oil or coconut milk needed. If you love the taste of peanut butter go ahead and use that for this recipe, but if you're skeptical or not a nut-butter person, try using raw cashew butter, which has a very mild flavor but will still give this dish a wonderful creamy texture. 

This curry is super healthy and packed with fiber and micronutrients from whole plant foods. Lentils and sweet potatoes are two of the healthiest foods in the world, aside from dark green leafy veggies- which you can totally add in there too! Fiber is what keeps our digestive system working properly and keeps our gut bacteria friendly. Long term, high fiber consumption reduces bloating and removes toxins from our systems. Forget juice cleanses and clean up your insides with high-fiber plant foods! That's where the real healing can start.

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Lentil & Caramelized Onion Soup With Ethiopian Berbere Spices

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Lentil soup is a classic healthy recipe, but maybe not always the most exciting. So I experimented, starting with a french onion style soup base and adding some Ethiopian Berbere spiced black lentils. I was met with the most flavor-packed lentil soup I've ever had. Not only spicy, but savory from the caramelized onions and a little tangy from balsamic vinegar and lime juice. 

Adjust the spice level to suit your tastes. the first time I made this my partner seemed to think 2 tablespoons of berbere was perfect, but for me my face was melting off. If you're sensitive to spices like me, I'd suggest starting with 1/2 tablespoon and tasting it before adding more. 

I love to caramelize the onions slowly to really bring out the sweet flavors, but if you don't have time, just cook the onions until they are translucent and soft. With the time reduced on that step, this recipe can be prepared on a busy weeknight in just over 30 minutes. Make a large batch and keep in the fridge all week for an instant filling hearty meal.

I've been trying to include more legumes into my diet as I've been noticing lately the more I eat of them, the better I feel. Lentils are one of the most fiber and protein rich plant foods around. Fiber is incredibly important and 97 percent of americans are deficient in it. Soluble fiber in lentils can lower your cholesterol and help prevent heart disease and stroke. The insoluble fiber in lentils removes excess hormones, cholesterol, and other carcinogenic substances from our systems that can cause disease. Fiber can only be found in whole plant foods.