Curry Lentil Soup

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It's soup day here on WGC and this Curry Lentil Soup is going to go right up there with your other favs like Chicken Tortilla Soup, Black Bean Sweet Potato Chili, and Potato Leek Soup I can guarantee it! No questions asked!

an overhead shot of table setting with two bowls of curry lentil soup on a dusty pink tile table. The soup is garnished with a swirl of coconut milk and a sprig of cilantro. There is a bowl of lime wedges and cilantro in the corner for extra garnishes and an unfolded pink napkin next to the bowl. A gold spoon rests on the edge of the bowl.


 

Why I Love This Recipe

You didn't think I'd let the first few days of October go by without a soup did you? I think not!! Just disregard the fact that it is literally 80+ degrees in LA today... it's fall on the calendar and we're going with it.

Soups are an essential part of the next few months. And we are solid when it comes to soups here on WGC over in the soup section - but one that kept popping up was a lentil soup! Random, I know, but apparently everyone loves it. I'll be honest, I was hesitant at first because I was somewhat skeptical of lentils as a kid - but mix it with coconut milk and curry and a TON of garlic and ginger and I could eat this lentil soup every day.

This Curry Lentil Soup is the perfect soup no matter who you're feeding. It's naturally vegan, incredibly filling and packed with flavor from the curry and the coconut milk. All in all... it's perfection. And, if this soup is on your rotation and want to try something similar, try the curry coconut noodle soup, which is also delicious.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Mise-en-place of all the ingredients to make curry lentil soup.
  • Coconut Oil
  • Yellow Onion
  • Red Bell Pepper
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Curry Powder red, yellow or green curry powders all work
  • Red Pepper Flakes 
  • Lentils you can use any color lentils you have on hand
  • Canned Crushed Tomatoes
  • Cilantro feel free to sub for chives or basil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Unsweetened Coconut Milk
  • Limes

*For a full list of ingredients and instructions please see recipe card below.

How to Make Curry Lentil Soup

A white dutch oven with chopped onion and bell pepper.

Step 1: Heat the oil in a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

A white dutch oven with sautéed onion and bell pepper, with garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes just added.

Step 2: Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

A white dutch oven with cooked spices, onion and bell pepper with red lentils just added.

Step 3: Add the lentils and cook for about 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.

A white dutch oven with lentils and onion base along with coconut milk, water, tomatoes and cilantro.

Step 4: Add tomatoes, cilantro, 2½ cups water and season with salt and pepper. Set aside a few tablespoons of the coconut milk and add remaining coconut milk to dutch oven.

A white dutch oven with curry lentil soup, with small glass mixing bowls on the side, a bowl with lime quarters, another with cilantro and one with coconut milk.

Step 5: Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy, 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

How to Store Curry Lentil Soup

You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When time to eat, warm it in the microwave or on stovetop in a saucepan till its warmed through.

How to Freeze Curry Lentil Soup

You can freeze this soup for about 3 months in airtight container. It would be much easier if you pre-portioned before freezing. This way you can just thaw as much as you need overnight and just warm it through in a microwave or stovetop when its time to eat.

Tips & Tricks

You can use any color lentils you have on hand for this lentil soup recipe! And some goes for curry powder... red, yellow and green all work in this recipe interchangeably! The rest is pretty self explanatory. If you're anti-cilantro then use some chives or basil on top! Just promise me that you won't forget to garnish with the lime juice. That fresh pop of flavor really makes this lentil soup sing!

an overhead shot of table setting with a bowls of curry lentil soup on a dusty pink tile table. The soup is garnished with a swirl of coconut milk and a sprig of cilantro. There is a bowl of lime wedges and cilantro in the corner for extra garnishes and an unfolded pink napkin next to the bowl. A gold spoon rests on the edge of the bowl.

FAQs

Why is my lentil soup not thick?

It's usually because too much liquid was added or the lentil soup did not simmer long enough for the lentils to absorb all of the cooking liquid.

Can I use any lentils?

Yes, you can use any type of lentils you have on hand. Just keep in mind that cooking time may vary depending on the type of lentils.

Similar Recipes

If you tried this recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!

Curry Lentil Soup from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Curry Lentil Soup

Author: Gaby Dalkin
5 from 76 votes
The most perfect (naturally vegan) Curry Lentil Soup in the world!! It's the perfect simple dinner and it's great for a take-to-work lunch moment!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 2 ½ inch piece of ginger peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ¾ cup lentils
  • 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • ½ cup cilantro finely chopped, plus more for garnish
  • kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 13.5 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
  • lime wedges for serving

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
  • Add garlic, ginger, curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for about 1 minute more, stirring occasionally.
  • Add tomatoes, cilantro, 2½ cups water and season with salt and pepper. Set aside a few tablespoons of the coconut milk and add remaining coconut milk to dutch oven.
  • Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy, 20-25 minutes. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
  • To serve, divide soup among bowls. Drizzle with reserved coconut milk and top with plenty of cilantro. Serve with lots of lime wedges.

Notes

You can use any color lentils you have on hand! And some goes for curry powder… red, yellow and green all work in this recipe interchangeably!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 247IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @WhatsGabyCookin or tag #whatsgabycooking!

127 Comments

  1. Sounds delicious, but I’m confused by the amounts of coconut milk (113 ounces?) and the crushed tomatoes (114 ounces?). Crushed tomatoes usually come in either 15 or 28 ounce cans and I can’t believe itt would be 4+ 28 ounce cans of tomatoes! Help! And thanks - I love your recipes!

    1. Hi Anne - its 1 13-ounce can and 1 14-ounce can. I just updated the recipe so it's a bit easier to read

  2. Hi Gaby, made this soup last night - really yummy! My new favorite thing now Red Lentils! Just made a Red Lentil Hummus too! Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes! Never have not liked one!

  3. Hi Gaby,

    I absolutely love making this soup and I'm making a list of freezer friendly meals for when my baby is due in early October. Would you consider this recipe freezer friendly? I wasn't sure how the lentils will hold once frozen.
    Thank you!

  4. 5 stars
    We make this ALL the time. It’s my one year olds favorite too. Sometimes I add in carrot and celery if have on hand. I usually stir in Greek yoguRt to serve to baby and my husband and I love it with the green yogurt you! Love this recipe! Thank you! Delicious with Trader Joe’s frozen naan.

  5. 5 stars
    Excellent soup! I only made a few tweaks because I didn’t have certain ingredients. I used a cilantro paste and a ginger paste. Both the pastes can be used as fresh measurements (1T paste = 1T of fresh). The ginger was a guess how much a 2 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger chopped would be tablespoon wise. Can anyone give me an estimate? I also omitted the red pepper flakes (I didn’t have any) and I added more curry. Serving it with the coconut milk drizzle and squeeze of lime is a must! It’s definitely a keeper and will be made routinely.

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