Cozy Curry Lentil Soup
Healthy, Vegetarian, Weeknight
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil
1 onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt (plus more, to taste)
a pinch of cayenne pepper (1/16-1/8 tsp.)
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (13 oz.) can coconut milk
5 cups veggie broth (or chicken broth)
1 lbs. (about 2 cups) red lentils, sorted and rinsed*
5 oz. fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/4–1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro (plus, additional for garnish, if desired)
Lime wedges (optional)
1–2 Tbsp. additional coconut milk or plain yogurt (dairy or non-dairy as needed) for garnish.
Directions
In a Dutch oven or soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
Add onions and carrots and cook 5-7 minutes, or until crisp-tender.
Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, salt, and cayenne. Stir and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add tomato sauce, coconut milk, and veggie broth to the pot and stir to combine.
If you haven’t already, sort and rinse your lentils,* then add them to your soup pot.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the soup (stirring occasionally) about 20-25 minutes, stirring or until lentils are tender and the soup has thickened.
Turn off the heat and stir in the spinach and cilantro. The residual heat from the soup will wild the leaves within 1-2 minutes.
Taste and add additional salt, as desired.
Serve with lime wedges, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of coconut milk, and additional cilantro as desired.