The dump-and-go slow cooker vegan stew that got me through my entire dissertation

I didn't go back to school expecting to fall apart. At 38, two years into my post-finance reinvention, I decided a graduate certificate in nutrition would give my writing more credibility.

What I didn't anticipate was how quickly the combination of coursework, deadlines, and my own perfectionist tendencies would drain every ounce of energy I had.

By month three, cooking had become an afterthought. I'd stare into the refrigerator at 7 PM, exhausted from hours of research, and feel genuine despair at the thought of chopping vegetables. That's when this stew entered my life and quietly became the backbone of my survival strategy.

Why this recipe works when nothing else does

The beauty of this stew is its forgiveness. You don't need to sauté anything first. You don't need to measure precisely. You dump ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, walk away, and return to something deeply nourishing when your brain has nothing left to give.

I made variations of this stew at least twice a week for eight months. Some weeks, it was the only real cooking I did. The leftovers became lunch, late-night study fuel, and the thing I reheated at 11 PM when I finally remembered I hadn't eaten dinner. It never let me down.

Ingredients

• 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) coconut milk
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed (no need to peel)
• 1 cup dried red lentils
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Handful of spinach or kale (added at the end)

Instructions

1. Add the chickpeas, diced tomatoes, coconut milk, vegetable broth, sweet potato, lentils, onion, and garlic to your slow cooker.
2. Sprinkle the curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper over everything. Give it one good stir.
3. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours. The lentils will break down and thicken the stew naturally.
4. In the last 15 minutes, stir in a handful of spinach or kale. Let it wilt into the stew.
5. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over rice, with crusty bread, or straight from a bowl with a spoon.

Tips and variations

This recipe is endlessly adaptable, which is part of what made it sustainable during those demanding months.

Out of sweet potatoes? Use butternut squash, regular potatoes, or carrots. No coconut milk? A second can of diced tomatoes works fine, though you'll lose some creaminess. Want more protein? Add a cup of cubed extra-firm tofu in the last hour.

I also learned that this stew freezes beautifully. I started making double batches and freezing portions in mason jars. Future me was always grateful to past me for that small act of kindness.

If you want a brighter finish, squeeze half a lime over your bowl and add fresh cilantro. A dollop of coconut yogurt on top makes it feel almost restaurant-worthy, even when you're eating it at your desk surrounded by highlighted journal articles.

Final thoughts

Looking back, this stew taught me something important about self-care during demanding seasons. Nourishment doesn't have to be complicated or Instagram-worthy. Sometimes it just needs to be warm, filling, and waiting for you when you finally surface from whatever has consumed your attention.

What's your go-to meal when life gets overwhelming? I'd love to know what keeps you fed when cooking feels impossible. Because we all need those recipes in our back pocket, the ones that ask almost nothing and give us exactly what we need.