This winter vegetable curry is an easy vegetarian dinner filled with hearty butternut squash, cauliflower, tuscan kale and chickpeas, you’ll never know the meat is missing!

*Post updated 11/30/2017 to include a video on how to make this Winter Vegetable Curry.

This is a one-pot meal that comes together in just half an hour. It’s creamy, comforting, vegetarian and gluten-free and I think you’ll be just as shocked as I was at how filling it can be without any meat.

Hope you give it a try this winter!


Winter vegetable curry

I hate to be one of those cliches that talks about the weather and how time flies but I seriously can’t believe tomorrow is December.

Thankfully, NY has been on it’s best behavior so far and the temperatures haven’t been horrible by any means (it was almost 70 here a few days ago!) which has made it hard to remember that Christmas is not even a month away.

Despite the weather, the grocery store has kept me in check with pints of blueberries for $7.99 jolting me back to the reality that summer is definitely over.

And with it, the disappearance of (affordable) delicious fruit.

So for the next 5 months or so, it’s me and the winter vegetables.

Since it’s still November, I’m not really upset by this yet (I will be come February though).

I’m still in the “these colder temps are cozy and let’s make a pot of stew!” kind of mood.

So, using one of my favorite winter squashes, this winter vegetable curry was born.

Winter vegetable curry with butternut squash, cauliflower and kale
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

It takes a good bit of heartiness for me to be ok with a meatless meal and consider it dinner, this winter vegetable curry though is one of those dishes.

With butternut squash, cauliflower, chickpeas and kale, you really don’t even miss the meat (if you’re a meat eater) because it’s got plenty going on to keep you nice and full.

More hearty vegetarian winter meals –> lentil bolognese, celery root puree with roasted balsamic vegetables or, sweet potato spinach mac and cheese

Usually, curry is made with coconut milk (like this coconut red curry shrimp <– so easy for a quick weeknight meal!) but I switched it up with this winter vegetable curry to keep it on the lighter side and used unsweetened almond milk instead.

It’s much more friendly on the fats per serving, not to mention it’s just 30 calories for each cup.

The best part is, there’s no downside to this healthier swap.

The winter curry still comes out just as creamy and there’s still plenty of flavor going on to keep your mouth happy.

If you do, however, want a luscious curry with a good dose of vegetables like this one, try this chicken saag recipe!

Creamy winter vegetable curry

Feel free to switch up the vegetables based on what you have on hand and try another squash too!

I’m crushing hard on the new to me honeynut squash lately. Usually I stuff it but it would work well in this curry too.

It’s a lot like butternut but even sweeter and more flavorful, so good! Delicata or kabocha would also be great options.

Even buttercup squash or koginut if you can find those fun varieties!

The curry can be enjoyed with this naan recipe or served over a rice. Pair it with this curry cauliflower rice for a lower-carb option that also has a lot of similar flavors and spices to the winter curry ingredients.

4.45 from 9 votes

Winter Vegetable Curry

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
This winter vegetable curry is an easy vegetarian dinner filled with hearty butternut squash, cauliflower, tuscan kale and chickpeas, you’ll never know the meat is missing!

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ” piece of fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 2 curry cubes
  • 2 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 2 cups cauliflower florets
  • 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 5-6 leaves lacinto/Tuscan kale, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional – see note

Instructions 

  • Place the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  • Add the almondmilk, broth and curry cubes and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer and stir until curry cubes are dissolved, about 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the butternut squash first and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  • Next, add the cauliflower, cook an additional 5 minutes.
  • Add the chickpeas and kale last, stir until incorporated and let cook another 1-2 minutes.
  • Season with salt and pepper. Feel free to use some additional curry powder, turmeric, garam masala, etc. here if you want a deeper curry flavor. The cubes I used were mild so the curry can handle some additional spice if desired.
  • If using, add the cornstarch slurry at this point, stir until thickened.
  • Remove the curry from the heat and serve over rice.

Video

Notes

*If you want a thicker curry, mix the cornstarch with a little water and stir until dissolved. Add it into the curry at the end, stir until thickened.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 246kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 11gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 478mgFiber: 12gSugar: 13g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Indian
TRIED THIS RECIPE?COMMENT + RATE BELOW!

This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




33 Comments

  1. Just made this curry. I didn’t have the curry cubes so I used curry powder instead. I found that the curry bitterness came through. Maybe I have to add the powder first and cook it out before adding the liquids. Will mess around with this recipe a bit more.

  2. Hi Gina, I live in the Netherlands and unfortunately we do not have the curry cubes you use in your recipe. Would you have a suggestion regarding a replacement or combination of herbs and spices I could use to get a similar result? Thank you for your advice! Lynn

    1. The notes in the recipe have some suggestions on spice. You can use curry power/garam masala instead of the cubes.

  3. Is this ok to do ahead and heat it up?
    I was gonna make it then put it in the crockpot with some chicken.
    Should I add the kale and chickpeas when the chicken is almost finished?
    What is your opinion

    1. Yes, that would be fine. I would add the kale and chickpeas towards the last 30 minutes in the crockpot.

  4. If there’s anything that can warm you from the inside out, it’s a hearty curry! This is the perfect winter dinner!

  5. The weather has been incredibly mild in Ohio too, but I think that whole situation is about to be a thing of the past as there is frost on the ground this morning. This curry is definitely the perfect winter dinner – such cozy flavors and colors!