Fresh cucumber noodles are mixed with a flavorful cilantro cashew pesto and then topped with creamy lentil coconut curry for a healthy, vegan friendly, weeknight meal!
So there’s this bowl of creamy, spicy lentils and it sits on the most refreshing pile of crispy-fresh cucumber noodles EVER.
Aaaaand, like, it’s basically got my head SPINNING.
I can only describe this 30 minute, vegan (!!!) dinner as all of my favorite things mish-mashed together in an overwhelmingly DELICIOUS combination of multiple-textured crazy-goodness. Think creamy, tender lentils all swirled around with crunchy cashews and crispety cucumbers.
Think SPICY. Think REFRESHING. Which don’t typically go together in the same sentence B-U-T there’s this superfresh mint and cilantro pesto that just kinda wraps up this veggie-and-nutrition-packed-simple meal with a bow, and makes your insides glow with healthy-food-vibes.
Simple dinner with complex flavors that you think you can only achieve in eleventy billion hours of cook time. They’re my most favorite kind of meal. I KNOW you like ‘em too.
So, this pesto. UMMM where has cashews in pesto been all of OUR lives? We’ve had mahi mahi with macadamia pesto and we even had breakfast cauliflower pizza with BACON pesto on Monday, but cashews? WHY HAVE THEY NOT BEEN pesto-i-fied?!
SRSLY, move over cashew cream sauce, because the latest and greatest cashew addiction is coming to your taste bud TOWN. I’ve eaten a LOT of pesto in my life and – bold statement alert- cashews may just be my newest most favorite pesto obsession to DATE.
I think it might be yours to. <–And if they are you also need to make Indian Spiced Chicken with Cashew Cilantro Pesto because it will satisfy your cashew and cilantro loving SOUL.
Especially when you WHIR WHIR WHIR them in a food processor with tangy lime juice, a little jalapeno heat, spicy ginger and ALL THOSE FRESH HERBS. Then mix all of THAT with cucumber and spoon on that thick, creamy red lentil curry. It’s going to make your flavor-packed-meatless-dinner loving self VURY VURY happy right now.
And all day. All evening. ALL WEEK. It’s good mood food that justsohappens to be bursting with healthy-nutrition at the SAME TIME.
Diner goals?
CRUSHED THEM.
Things (err one thing) to point out: yellow curry paste. You’re all like, “but what if I don’t have yellow curry paste? May I just sub in red or green curry paste instead because I don’t want to change out of my pajamas and go to the store?” Short answer: No
Long answer: Still no.
Protip: Just put some “real” pants on (why yes, I do consider leggings to be in that category, thanks for asking) and throw your jacket over your pajama shirt, so NO ONE WILL KNOW. Not that I do that. Daily. Or anything.
Whatever. YOU understand ME.
I’m not TRYING to be bossy here, but just use Y-E-L-L-O-W curry paste pretty please. I knew that your questioning brains would ask about substitutions, so I tried them in advance for you (you’re welcome.) My peeps, them other colored pastes just don’t do this supremely delicious pot of creamy curry JUSTICE.
Bossy moment done. Promise.
Actually, almost done. Because I need to boss you off your computer, like, RIGHT NOW. Our creamy-curry dinner friend may be E-Z-P-Z, but it ain’t going to make itself.
Remember: Jackets + Pajama Shirts = BFF.
What you do with those words of wisdom is up to you.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Light coconut milk
- 1 Cup Crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Yellow Curry Paste *
- 1/2 Cup Red lentils
- 1/4 Cup Roasted salted cashews (36g) + additional for garnish
- 1 Cup Packed Cilantro roughly chopped + additional for garnish
- 1/4 Cup Packed Fresh mint roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp Fresh ginger minced
- 1 tsp Jalapeno pepper minced
- 1 tsp Fresh lime juice
- 2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp Coconut oil melted
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 very Large cucumbers or 3 small cucumbers, spiralized with the 3mm blade
Instructions
- In a large pot, whisk together the coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, water and curry paste and bring to a boil. Whisk it frequently and really try to break down the curry paste.
- Once boiling, stir in the lentils, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the the lentils have absorbed most of the liquid and are thick and creamy, about 20 minutes.
- While the lentils cook, place the cashews in a small food processor (mine is 3 cups) and process until broken down.
- Add in the cilantro, mint, ginger, jalapeno pepper and lime juice and processor until broken down and blended.
- With the food processor running, stream in the water and coconut oil and process until smooth and creamy, scraping the sides down as necessary.
- Place the spiralized cucumbers onto a paper towel and press out any excess moisture. Place them into a large bowl and add in the pesto. Toss the noodles until the pesto evenly covers them,
- Divide the noodles between plates, and divide the lentil curry on top of each pile of noodles.
- Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and cashews and DEVOUR.
Tips & Notes:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: SMARTPOINTS: 7 POINTS+: 7. OLD POINTS: 6
Based off 4 servings
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 🙂
Want more vegan curry?
Paleo Almond Butter Coconut Curry with Sweet Potato and Apple Noodles
Vegan Coconut Curry with Sweet Potato Noodles
Vegan lentil curry from around the web:
Slow Cooker Red Lentil Curry – Pancake Warriors
Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Curry Soup – Season With Spice
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