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This INCREDIBLY delicious curried coconut lentil soup is perfect for when you want a healthy, hearty lunch or dinner without skipping on flavour! Want to impress your dinner party guests? Crack this bad boy out as a starter and you’ll grab them hook line and sinker.
Not only does it taste absolutely flippin’ amazing, it’s also naturally gluten free and vegan – just like my balsamic roasted red pepper and tomato soup recipe! So this lentil soup really is perfect for pleasing everyone.
How versatile is curried coconut lentil soup?
Very much like this wonderful slow cooker vegetable soup recipe, it’s incredibly versatile. You can eat this lentil soup as a starter, lunch or even a speedy dinner. Basically you can eat it at any time of day and feel happy and satisfied! Don’t have all the vegetables in the recipe? Not to worry! Just substitute in what you have at home, making sure to stick to roughly the same amounts.
Remember that harder vegetables (like pumpkin, parsnips etc) will need longer to cook, so add them in when you would the butternut squash/carrots. Softer veg (like peas, sweetcorn etc) will need much less, so add these in for the last 5-10 mins of cooking time.
After something a little more chunky? Check out this epic one pot lentil dahl!
How to prepare a butternut squash for curried coconut lentil soup
Preparing a butternut squash for lentil soup is actually easier than you might think. Using a pumpkin instead? Check out my easy guide for preparing a pumpkin in this slow cooker pumpkin soup recipe.
- Slice off the top and bottom of the squash.
- Cut the squash into two pieces at the point where the thick neck and wide base meet.
- Working round, slice the skin off of both pieces.
- Chop into cubes.
See, I told you it wasn’t that difficult! Now you can use it however the recipe tells you to. (In this case, in cubes.)
How to make curried coconut lentil soup look fancy
Want to really impress your friends, family or dinner party guests? Add a half teaspoon dollop of natural yoghurt/sour cream or creme fraiche (plain soy yoghurt for vegans) into the middle. Take a cocktail stick or knife and swirl it around to make a pretty pattern.
Finally top it off with a scattering of chilli flakes and a little fresh parsley. Your bowl of lentil soup just went from being worth £3.95 a dish to £8.95 a dish in about 60 seconds. BOOM. You’re welcome!
How to freeze coconut lentil soup
Freezing lentil soup is easy! Simply let it cool completely once you’ve blended it, then divide between freezer bags/tubs and freeze. Use your soup within 1-2 months.
Curried coconut lentil soup recipe tips
Not made a lentil soup before? Never fear! Kitchen Mason is here 😀
- Don’t worry about chopping everything perfectly/the same size – you’re going to blend it all anyway so it won’t matter!
- Prepare all your ingredients before you start. I can’t emphasise how much stress this could spare you!
- Like it hot? Add more chilli flakes to your tastes.
- Don’t have ras el hanout in the cupboard? Try garam masala instead.
- Be careful when blending your soup, especially if it’s still hot!
- Want to batch cook? You can easily double the recipe! Just make sure you use a pot that is big enough. It may also take a few minutes more to cook.
- If you’re freezing your lentil soup, be sure to freeze it in portion sizes that you are likely to use to prevent any waste. (I prefer individual sized portions just in case!)
Curried Coconut Lentil Soup – Step by Step Picture Recipe
(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)
Here’s what you will need to make 4-5 portions.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 x 1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) Butternut Squash, peeled, deseeded & cubed
- 200g (7 oz) Carrots (approx 2 medium), peeled & sliced
- 1 x Onion, peeled & sliced
- 1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
- 1 + 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 2 x Garlic Cloves, minced
- Salt & Pepper
- 100g (3.5 oz) Red Lentils
- 1 Litre (1 Quart) Vegetable Stock
- 1 x 400ml Tin (1 + 2/3 Cup) Coconut Milk
- Pinch of Chilli Flakes
Essential Equipment
- Large Saucepan or Pot
- Food Processor or Stick Blender
Instructions
Firstly, prepare your ingredients/chop those vegetables if you haven’t already.
Heat the coconut oil (1 tbsp) in a large saucepan or pot over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the cubed butternut squash (1.2 kg | 2lb 10 oz) the sliced carrots (200g | 7oz) and the sliced onion (x 1). Give it a good stir then fry for 1-2 minutes.
Next up, the spices! Sprinkle in the ras el hanout (1 tbsp), the cumin (1 + 1/2 tsp), the garlic (2 cloves, minced) and some salt and pepper. Remember that you are seasoning 4-5 portions so you will need to be a little generous with the salt & pepper.
Now give it all a really good mix to coat everything in those wonderful spices then let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
For the final addition, let’s add in the remaining ingredients. So tip in the red lentils (100g | 3.5 oz), the vegetable stock (1 litre | 1 quart), the coconut milk (1 x 400ml tin | 1 + 2/3 Cup) and the chilli flakes (a pinch).
Next, give it all a really good stir and crank up the heat to bring this baby up to the boil! Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until the vegetables are nice and soft.
Now all that’s left to do is allow it to cool for a little bit then blend it either in batches in a food processor, or right there in the pan with a stick blender. The latter is definitely my favourite option because it makes WAY less pots to wash! Just make sure you’re careful if it’s still a little hot.
And there you have it! A CRAZY tasty, healthy and speedy meal that’s naturally gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan. I’m willing to bet that your house smells pretty darn amazing right now too!
Have you Made This Recipe?
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Easy Curried Coconut Lentil Soup - Printable Recipe
CRAZY delicious, healthy, quick and easy, this curried coconut lentil soup will become a firm family favourite! {Naturally dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian and vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1.2 kg Butternut Squash , (peeled, deseeded & cubed)
- 200 g Carrots (approx 2 medium) , (peeled & sliced)
- 1 Onion , (peeled & sliced)
- 2 Garlic Cloves , (minced)
- 1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
- 1.5 tsp Cumin
- Salt & Pepper
- 100 g Red Lentils
- 1 Litre Vegetable Stock
- 400 ml Tin Coconut Milk
- Pinch Chilli Flakes
- 1 Large Saucepan or Pot
- 1 Food Processor or Stick Blender
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil over a medium heat in a large pot then add the butternut squash, carrot & onion. Fry for 1-2 mins.
- Add the garlic, ras el hanout, cumin and salt & pepper. Stir well and cook for 1-2 mins.
- Add the red lentils, vegetable stock, coconut milk and chilli flakes. Stir well and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 mins until the vegetables have softened.
- Cool then puree. I prefer to use a stick blender (less pots!) but you can also do it in batches in a food processor.
- Serve immediately or cool completely and freeze for a later date.
Notes
Serving Suggestion
Swirl some sour cream, creme fraiche or yoghurt (soy yoghurt for vegan) into the top of each bowl then top with a little fresh parsley and chilli flakes for a 'restaurant' finish.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 336Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 873mgCarbohydrates: 40gFiber: 11gSugar: 8gProtein: 7g
Nutritional information on kitchenmason.com should only be used as a general guideline, I am not a certified nutritionist. Please always check labels for allergens where applicable.