Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Curry Lentil Soup


This is one of the easiest soups, and so inexpensive to make. It always amazes me how just a few ingredients can transpire into something so tasty, and be vegan! My 21 month old daughter even loves this soup - I simply scoop out the veg with a slotted spoon (to cut down on the mess!) and let her go to town. If you need to de-veganize it, adding a fried or poached egg on top is a great addition, and really makes this soup a complete meal. Although, with a hunk of crusty bread, it already is. 

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp canola oil
4 c low sodium vegetable stock
4 c water
1 medium to large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled, halved, and sliced
8 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
1 c lentils
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tbsp of your favorite curry powder
2 bay leaves
1 15 oz can low fat coconut milk
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Add a pinch of s&p, stir well, then cover. Stir the veg every couple minutes for about 8 min total, till softened. 

Remove lid and add mushrooms, another pinch of s&p and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 6 minutes. Add garlic, curry, and cumin. Stir and let cook for an additional minute. Add veggie stock, water, and bay leaves. 

Add lentils and bring the soup to a simmer. Do not boil. Once soup is brought to simmer, let cook for 20 minutes stirring often, allowing the lentils to uniformally cook. Add coconut milk and cook for 10 - 15 more minutes, or until lentils are done to your liking. I like mine still pretty firm, and not mushy. Add s&p to taste. 




4 comments:

  1. Do you soak the lentils first? Sounds very good!

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    Replies
    1. No need to soak or rinse - just a look over to make sure there aren't any odd foreign objects in with your lentils!

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  2. This recipe sounds wonderful! Curry does not agree with me. What would you suggest to use instead? I understand that it would change the taste completely but the rest sounds GREAT!

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    Replies
    1. An equal amount of cumin will do just fine. It will taste different, but not too drastically since cumin is found in most curry powders already! The coconut milk really helps to meld all the flavors together.

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