Description
A comforting and nutritious spiced red lentil soup, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dry red lentils
- 2–3 large carrots, chopped
- 2–3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 small yellow onion or ½ large
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp kosher salt (more to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups spinach
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- squeeze lemon
- 1–2 cups water or extra broth (optional to thin it out if desired)
- ½ cup coconut milk or heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils in a fine mesh strainer under cold running water and drain well.
- Chop the carrots, celery, onion, and red bell pepper into small pieces.
- Mince the garlic and grate the fresh ginger root (I use a citrus zester to do this).
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat.
- Add olive oil and once hot, add the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes until the veggies soften.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and seasonings including the spices, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant and everything is coated in the seasonings.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for another minute or two.
- Add rinsed lentils and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
- Stir in the spinach until it wilts.
- Turn off heat and add the lemon juice and fresh parsley.
- If using, this is when to add the coconut milk. Give it a taste and add salt as needed.
- Hint: If you want a thinner soup, add 1-2 extra cups of broth or water. If you want to give it a more creamy texture, puree 1-2 cups in a blender and add it back to the pot or use an immersion blender to blend it.
Notes
- This soup gets better as it sits and can be reheated easily.
- Adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: soup
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg