The Ultimate Coconut Curry Lentil Soup Recipe

• Why You'll Love This Soup
• The Best Coconut Curry Lentil Soup Recipe
• Ingredients You Need
• Step-By-Step
• On Choosing Your Lentils
• Meal Prep and Storing
• Creative Variations to Try
• Coconur Lentil Soup

It's deeply satisfying to have a bowl of soup which is both nourishing and full of flavor, like this Coconut Curry Lentil Soup that feels like a warm, comforting hug in bowl. It's a dish that smoothly marries rich, creamy coconut milk with aromatic curry spices and earthy lentils.Whether you're a home cook who has been practicing long or fresh to the cooking scene installed, this recipe is designed to be uncomplicated, delicious, and extremely rewarding.

We're going to start with the basics and then get down deep into this soup. You'll find a detailed, step-by-step recipe; handy tips for success; creative variations and inspiration to make it your own; and a look at the incredible nutritional benefits of this powerhouse dinner idea. This easy lentil soup is perfect for a Wednesday-night dinner, prep ahead for the week, or any time you need a quick, healthy meal that doesn't sacrifice flavor.

Why You'll Love This Soup

Before going on to the recipe, let's talk a minute about why you’ll remember and want to make this a regular soup. It is more than a dish; it is an event. Complex yet harmonious flavors produce a meal that appears both exotic and familiar.

Incredibly Tasty: This soup's heart and soul lies in the fragrant base --- a combination of ginger, garlic, turmeric, and curry. The coconut milk provides a smooth, slightly sweet ending that tempers the spices beautifully.

Easy to Make: The long list of spices shouldn't put you off. The process couldn't be more straightforward and accessible for any cook. Most of the time is spent with your hands in your lap --- a-peddling and melding flavors.

It's a Healthy Meal: This is one of the healthy dinner ideas you can enjoy with pride. For example, it's rich in vegetable protein which comes from lentil nutrition, but also has those good fats that naturally found in coconut milk. There are many minerals contained within the vegetables of this soup too-it's a natural vegan recipe, making it suitable for people of many different races.

Economical: Lentils, canned coconut milk, and spices are pantry ingredients that won't break the bank. For a large batch of appetizers, this recipe allows you to eat seriously-yet with very little effort or cost on your part.

The Best Coconut Curry Lentil Soup Recipe

Are you ready to cook? This recipe has been tested and perfected so that each time you make it will always bring the best taste. It's a single pot dish, which means dirtying up one pot makes cleanup easier and also allows for maximum flavor to develop.

Ingredients You Need

Here's what you'll need to pick up at the store. Get all of your ingredients assembled before you start (something known as "mise en place") because it will help smooth and speed up the process of cooking out for today's soup.

Olive Oil or Coconut Oil: 2 tablespoons

Diced Onion: 1 large, yellow or white preferably

Diced Carrots: 2 medium sized, peeled and diced

Diced Celery: 2 stalks, diced

Crushed Garlic: 4 cloves, minced

Freshly Grated Ginger: 1 tablespoon

Red Lentils: 1 ½ cups, rinsed and drained

Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth: 6 cups

Shaken Can of Full-Fat Coconut Milk: 1 (13.5 ounces)

Diced Tomatoes: 1 (14.5 ounces)

Curry Powder: 2 tablespoons

Turmeric: 1 teaspoon

Cumin: 1 teaspoon

Coriander: ½ teaspoon

Cayenne Pepper: ¼ teaspoon (or to taste)

Salt and Black Pepper: To taste

Packed Fresh Spinach: 3 cups

Freshly squeezed Lime Juice from 1 fresh lime

Garnish (optional): Fresh cilantro, a swirl of coconut milk, red pepper flakes, toasted coconut flakes

Step-By-Step

Just follow these few steps when cooking up your pot-and then admire.

Heat olive oil or coconut oil in large pot or dutchover medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until the onion turns clear and the veggies gain some softness. This is necessary because it lays a flavor foundation for the rest of the recipe.

Step 2: Spice Blooming

To the pot, add the minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for another minute, until fragrant, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Then, add the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and cayenne pepper. Stir for about 30 seconds as they all meld together. This process, known as 'bloom ing,' toasts the spices and allows their essential oils to be released, thus deepening their flavor.

Step 3: Meld Bread and Butter

As described in the previous section about blooming (umlaut), this is where you get to add the vegetable broth. Pour it into the pot, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of brown that might be clinging on the bottom of the pot. If necessary, add another splash until it's right up to the line on the side of your container. Finally, put in the rinsed red lentils and the diced tomatoes (juice and all). Mix everything well, turn up the heat and let soup boil slowly.

Step 4: Simmer until perfect

Once the soup boils, bring the fire under it down to low, cover the pot and let it simmer itself for 20-25 minutes. You want those lentils to soften up a little bit so that they start breaking down. That's what will give the soup its thick and creamy consistency.

Step 5: Cream It Up and Add Some Greens

Take the pot cover off and stir in the full-fat coconut milk. The soup will change its colors magically to a beautiful deep orange. Add the fresh spinach, little by little stirring until it wilts into the richly aromatic liquid. It should only take a minute or two.

Step six is final touch

The heat is turned off. Add the freshly squeezed juice of one lime. This final acid ingredient brightens everything else, just as it serves to lighten rich flavor of coconut milk. Generously season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper Don't skimp on the seasoning--this is what makes all the flavors come together.

Step 7: Serving and Enjoyment

When the hot soup is ladled into bowls, it can be garnished with: a sprig of fresh coriander, Picada's extra coconut milk (use the wooden skewer before you do), a squeeze of red pepper flakes for some bite. Serve immediately and enjoy this warm comfort food. Meals, soups, salads andjuices

Transformation of 50:1 red lentils is now complete

After a few small moves: a better-than-decent soup becomes absolutely fantastic.On Choosing Your LentilsThis recipe uses red lentils for a reason--they cook quickly and fall apart more than other kinds of lentils, which gives the soup its rich, velvety consistency. Brown or green lentils will also work, but won't disintegrate as much. If you use them, you may require an additional 10-15 minutes of simmering time. The final texture will still be quite liquid, with separate legumes throughout. Importance of Full-Fat Coconut Milk

When it comes to the richest, creamiest soup, use canned. full-fat coconut milk. The half-fat kind works in a pinch, but you lose the luxurious feel of whole milk. Coconut milk that comes in a carton is very thin and without the same texture.Don't shake cans of coconut milk from Indian markets before opening (heat on low for at least an hour after opening). Also, the wet and dry layers in a can of regular full-fat coconut milk can be hard to mix together properly; so instead carefully remove the solid cream part. This can then be stored separately if desired.

Meal Prep and Storing

This easy lentil soup is a meal planner's dream. It tastes even better the day after meals so flavour is left time to develop a little.

Refrige: Keep soup in refrigerator for up to five days in an airtight container.

Freezing: This soup freezes wonderfully. When it's a little cold, pour it into containers or bags that can go in the freezer. It's possible to keep up to three months frozen. Let the soup defrost naturally in the refrigerator overnight if you're ready to eat tomorrow. When reheating, you get good results with gentle heat on stovetop. Since the soup might thicken up on standing around for awhile, you may want to add some water or broth durreling reheating to achieve your desired consistency.

Creative Variations to Try

The beauty of this coconut curry lentil soup recipe is that there are many ways in which it can be practised. In order to accommodate differing tastes, one can freely change one ingredient for another or use what's at hand.

More Vegetables: Induce your soup with more vegetables. Diced sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and cauliflower fleurets all perform well as additions. Throw them in along the celery and carrots; however, to make sure they are cooked through chop them into bite-sized pieces.

Protein Richness: Lentils are a wonderful source of protein, but you may well want to bring in some leftover cooked, shredded chicken as an extra boost or some chickpeas. Add these in the last 5 minutes of simmering.

Change the Greens: Kale makes a decent replacement for spinach. Since it is a tougher leafy green, throw it in a few minutes earlier and wait until it is soft enough to eat.

Spicy? Mild? The scale of spiciness in this soup is medium. If you want a hotter soup, add more cayenne pepper or finely chop a chili pepper along with the garlic and ginger.

Creative Garnish: Toppings are a great way to add texture and flavor. Try a spoonful of natural yogurt, sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds or some crunchy onion pieces on top.

Coconur Lentil Soup

Nutritionally speaking, this soup is powerhouse material making it just as natural a choice for a meal in this'class neighbourhood as anything else on our list. It's one of the best vegan soup recipes around too.

Lentils: These legumes produce a rich supply of plant protein, fiber, folate, iron and potassium. The fiber content helps keep you regular and feeling full for longer periods of time.

Coconut Milk: Although high in saturated fat, coconut milk's fat content primarily consists of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).

It adds a wonderful creaminess without any dairy products to sheep (safely assume that they are a lactose intolerant production animal)

Spices: Many of the spices used in this recipe have tremendous health benefits. Turmeric contains curcumin, a potent antiinflammatory compound; ginger is valued for its digestive system soothing capabilities; and garlic may improve immune function.

Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery and spinach offer a wide range of vitamins and minerals for good health (not just so that vitamin C will sit on the shelf). They also supply plenty of antixodiants-a

Nutritionally speaking, this combo at once sensational and nourishing offers the perfect balance for health and well-being. It's a meal you can feel good about sharing with your family and friends, knowing that they are getting simply good eatinf. Enjoy every spoonful!