Soups and curries are two of my favorite things and I knew I had to give this recipe a try. The flavors remind me a lot of Thai curries since the soup’s base is coconut milk. I used an Indian Garam Masala with Turmeric to give it a spicy, aromatic flavor. I toasted the spices with a few arbol chilies and ground them all together. The soup was really easy to make and all it really requires is a few hours for the ingredients to cook together. The result was a delicious and filling soup with nice coconut and curry flavors. The soup is surprisingly filling due to the rich broth and the high protein foods like chickpeas and lentils. I garnished a bowl with a drop of coconut milk, cilantro and sliced jalapeno. Plain yogurt would work great as a garnish as well. The soup goes well with rice, couscous, quinoa, or bread.
Red Lentil and Coconut Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 batch Garam Masala see recipe below
- 1 tsp dried lemongrass ground
- 2 tsp heaping turmeric ground
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper diced
- 3 cups red lentils
- 30 oz chickpeas
- 1/4 cup ginger minced
- 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper minced including seeds
- 30 oz unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 9 cups water or vegetable stock
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 1 lime zest
- coconut milk for garnish (optional)
- cilantro chopped for garnish
- 1 jalapeno sliced for garnish
- sliced limes for garnish
- yogurt for garnish (optional)
- leaves thai basil for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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In a large 10 qt. sauce pot, melt the butter and olive oil and add the onions, bell pepper, and jalapenos. Cook for 10 minutes until soft.
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Add the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes until the garlic smells fragrant and the paste has caramelized slightly.
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Add the water, garam masala, ground turmeric, lemongrass, lime zest, coconut milk, salt, honey, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered on very low heat for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Stir every 20 minutes to prevent burning. Add more honey, spices, or salt to taste.
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Serve with lime, cilantro, coconut milk and jalapeno slices.
Garam Masala
Ingredients
- 3 arbol chilies stems removed
- 1 tsp cumin seed
- 2 tsp coriander seed
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 1/2 pieces cinnamon stick cut into small
- 1 tsp nutmeg seeds
- 2 tsp cardamom pods
- 2 tsp peppercorns
Instructions
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Toast the arbol chili, cumin, coriander, cloves, cinnamon stick pieces, nutmeg, cardamom pods, and peppercorns in a pan until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
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Remove from heat and place in a grinder and blend.
I love this soup!!!
Gorgeous soup with such lovely colors! I love the idea of turning the flavors of curry into a soup….I’ll have to give this a try soon.
I love this combination! I should give it a try.wow, 3 hours of cooking!
Natasha,
If you are short on time, you could cook it on medium heat for an hour. I have just gotten into the habit of cooking soups on the lowest heat setting for longer. For some reason I just think they taste better! Plus the house smells awesome for longer 🙂
This sounds like a tasty soup!
Thanks Kevin!
This looks lovely! How much Garam Masala does this recipe make? I already have some and would like to save on cooking time. Thanks!
Kate,
I’m sorry, I didn’t exactly measure it out as the spices went directly from the grinder into the pot. I would estimate it makes about 1 1/2 tablespoons, but to be safe I would season to taste.