Carrot and Red Lentil Soup

This beautiful soup is comfort food in a bowl (and vegan!). 

Carrot-And-Red Lentil Soup
Photo: Greg DuPree
Cook Time:
25 mins
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
45 mins
Servings:
4

Great soups don't have to be complicated to be deeply delicious and satisfyingly hearty. Case in point: this simple lentil soup, which is fragrant with spices and just-spicy-enough, thanks to fresh ginger. The key to building concentrated vegetable flavor is giving the carrots and shallots enough time to release water before adding the cumin, turmeric, and ginger. Coconut milk adds both creaminess and silky body, resulting in a jewel-toned soup that tastes as wonderful as it looks.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 ½ pounds carrots, roughly chopped (about 4 cups)

  • 3 large shallots, thinly sliced

  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (2 teaspoons)

  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric

  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

  • cup dried red lentils

  • 1 ½ cups well-shaken and stirred unsweetened coconut milk (from a 13.5-ounce can)

  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Directions

  1. Toast cumin seeds in a large pot over medium-high, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from pot. Heat oil in pot. Add carrots and shallots; cook, stirring often, until shallots are very tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in ginger, turmeric, and toasted cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until carrots and lentils are tender, about 20 minutes.

  2. Blend carrot mixture in a blender, in batches if necessary, taking care when blending hot liquids. (Or use an immersion blender directly in pot.) Return pureed soup to pot. Stir in coconut milk, 1 cup water, salt, and pepper. Top with cilantro.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

442 Calories
26g Fat
44g Carbs
13g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 4
Calories 442
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 26g 33%
Saturated Fat 17g 85%
Sodium 984mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 44g 16%
Dietary Fiber 11g 39%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 13g

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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