Curried lentil soup

This is a basic recipe that is easy to adapt to your taste and what you have in your pantry.


Curried lentil soup

For this, as with many soup recipes, you can experiment a bit and not be tied to a recipe. You sauté chopped veggies, add seasonings and spices, add stock, beans, lentils, and more, simmer until done, then add things at the end.

For instance, try this curried lentil soup. It’s easy and excellent on a cold night.

You may find brown or green lentils. Green lentils take a little longer to cook and hold their shape better so you would cook them a little bit longer than brown lentils. But either one (or a mix) would work well in this soup.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/3-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, diced or 1 large celery stalk, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 large shallot, diced
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 cup lentils (brown, green, or mixed)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • Optional yogurt to garnish

Directions

  1. Warm the olive oil in a soup pot. Sauté the garlic, ginger, fennel or celery, carrot, and shallot for 4 to 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the broth and bring it to a boil.
  3. Add green lentils before boiling and brown lentils after. Cover and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the lentils are just tender.
  4. Use a handheld wand blender or puree about 1/3 of the soup in a blender, being careful to cover the open hole in the blender lid with a kitchen towel to allow the steam to escape.
  5. Return the pureed soup to the pot. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add chopped cilantro.
  6. Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt if you wish.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 280
  • Total fat: 8 g
  • Saturated fat: 1 g
  • Cholesterol: 55 mg
  • Sodium: 115 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 41 g
  • Dietary fiber: 8 g
  • Total sugars: 5 g
  • Added sugars: 0 g
  • Protein: 15 g