Coconut Red Lentil Stew with Kale
This post may contain affiliate links.
“I thought we’d try something healthy for dinner tonight.” These are not the words you want to hear from your camping companion – especially after a long, active day of burning calories. For me, the word healthy conjures up memories of flavorless grain bowls and bitter piles of kale. The food of masochists. So when Megan told me our meal would contain both lentils and kale, I immediately started taking mental account of how many Cliff bars we had left. I figured I would need at least two or three to properly supplement.
However, I’m happy to say that not a single Cliff bar was needed because this meal is legit. Not only is it Hungry Camper™ approved, but it also uses just one pot (which is always a good sign). The recipe really brings out the best in both the lentils and the kale. Red lentils break down when cooked and become more of a creamy porridge and the kale looses nearly all of its bitterness when simmered. But the real stars of the meal aren’t the main ingredients. It’s the coconut milk, coriander, and cumin that gives this stew such a full and satisfying flavor profile. We prepared a lot for just the two of us, but had no problem finishing it. If we had had a loaf of crusty bread on hand, the pot would have been cleaned and ready to go by the time we got done with it.
Recipe Assistant
Have a question, need an ingredient substitution, or want to create a complete meal or menu around this recipe? Chat with our automated recipe assistant to dive deeper.

Coconut Red Lentil Stew with Kale
Ingredients
Instructions
- Over medium heat, saute shallot in olive oil until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, cumin, coriander, and cayenne and saute 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and their juices, broth, coconut milk powder, red lentils, and salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Add the kale. Cook until the lentils begin to break apart and become creamy, about 20 minutes. Season to taste, and serve immediately. This would be great topped with some chopped cilantro or a squeeze of lime!
I just made this for lunch & I love it. I was looking for recipes that I could send to my daughter who is away in College. This will be easy for her to make and also delicious & healthy. Thanks so much for sharing this 🙂
Thanks, Jen! Your comment made me think about how similar camp cooking is to college cooking; I hope your daughter enjoys it as well!
If you simply cannot find coconut milk powder (and are too impatient to wait for it to ship online!) do you know the ratio to sub for canned coconut milk?
LOVE the site by the way! Beautiful photos 🙂
Thanks, Casio! You know, I haven’t made this with canned coconut, but I imagine that 1/4-1/2 cup would work. If using full fat, I’d err on the 1/4 cup side. Sorry I don’t have a precise answer for you. If you try it, let me know what ended up working for you!
I made this at home, not camping, but still loved it! Would definitely make while camping as well. Love the site!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thank you 🙂
This is a very good recipe! Thank you so much! Loved it
I noticed that the recipe calls for coconut milk but the photo of ingredients shows coconut cream and since they are different (one is creamier), which one should we be using in the recipe? I’m excited to try this on our camping adventure next week.
I love this 🙂 I’ve been making it weekly for the past month — camping and not!
Does this recipe freeze well? It looks great!
I haven’t tried freezing it, but I imagine it would. Would love to hear how it turns out if you try it!