Not sure what the weather is like where you are, but if you’re in the northeast, you’re probably, like me, getting pelted with snow and rain. And, while I generally hate the winter and the cold, I must admit it is the perfect season for soups. Thick and creamy soups to be specific.
I was looking around and asking for some suggestions on good soups I can make in a large quantity to have as a quick lunch throughout the week. And, this was the prefect recommendation (Thanks, Joan!) It’s a coconut and lentil soup, and you know I love anything with coconut in it, so as soon as I saw that this recipe doubled up on it, I was in. The original recipe is from Budget Bytes, go check it out there are some great recipes over there.
This happens to be vegan, super simple to make, and at least for me, can be made with things I already had in my pantry, except for the toasted coconut shreds, but they’re easy enough to get ahold of.
if you’re in the northeast, you’re probably, like me, getting pelted with snow and rain. And, while I generally hate the winter and the cold, I must admit it is the perfect season for soups. Thick and creamy soups to be specific.
This is a quick, low-maintenance recipe. It only takes 20 – 25 mins to cook and maybe 10 mins, max, to prep everything. And, just freeze any extra you have, since this is great reheated.
I’m still taking suggestions on some good winter soups. Let me know in the comments below if you know of any good ones!
Coconut & Lentil Soup
with Cilantro and toasted coconut shreds
Original recipe from Budget Bytes
Soup Stuff
- Dash of olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1” knob of ginger – peeled
- 1/2 tbsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red peper flakes
- 2 carrots
- 1C red lentils – make sure to rinse and remove any rogue stones
- 1 can coconut milk – get the full fat stuff for this
- Salt
Top it up, top it up
- Toasted Coconut flakes
- Cilantro
Dice up your onion, garlic, ginger and carrots. No need to be too particular about this since it’s all eventually getting blended. Just try and keep the dice relatively small so everything cooks evenly.
Add your diced onions to a 2 quart pot, or larger, along with a dash of olive oil over medium heat. Let the onions sweat out for 3-5mins, just until translucent. Next add in your chopped garlic and ginger. Sauté for about a minute, until everything is super fragrant. Be sure not to burn the garlic here! Next add in you carrots, turmeric and red pepper flakes. Stir and let cook for another minute or so.
Next, add in your lentils. Stir everything together and add in 4C of water. You also want to check your seasonings here. Add in some salt if you need it.
Let everything simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Give it a taste to make sure the lentils and veg are all soft and cooked through. Now you are ready to blend. I used an immersion blender for this, but you can certainly use a stand blender. Just do it in batches, and be careful not to burn yourself. Once it’s all blended go ahead and add in your can of coconut milk. Stir it all together making sure the coconut milk is fully combined, and once again check your seasoning. You’ll probably need to add in some more salt.
Now plate it up. Top it with some cilantro and toasted shredded coconut. Eat up!
One thought on Coconut & Lentil Soup
This looks like the perfect dish to help take the chill out of the air – a big bowl is just what you need after a long walk or run on a chilly winter day.