Deliciously filling soup doesn’t get much easier than this. Coconut curry lentil soup is packed with protein, vitamins & minerals, fiber and… flavor! Done in 30 minutes this is one of my favorite meals. Meatless Mondays have met their match.

This recipe pairs extremely well with herbed garlic naan bread. Give yourself just a few minutes of prep time and about an hour to rise. SO worth it.

Curry lentil soup notes

Cinnamon

It may seem weird or unnecessary but I assure you cinnamon is delicious and this recipe does not taste quite right without it. It is not over powering.

Ginger

I LOVE ginger but take caution that too much powdered ginger tends to taste bitter. If you want a more pronounced ginger flavor swap out the powdered with fresh!

Tubes of fresh ginger from the produce section or pre-portioned frozen ginger are great alternatives to buying a piece of ginger if you’re not sure when you’ll use it next.

Quick note on lentils

Do not analyze your lentil selection. Use what you’ve got! Everyone of these are healthy and delicious. Simply note the cooking time and adjust accordingly. Do not worry about the garbanzo beans, they hold their shape quite well…even if they don’t they are still delicious!

Red lentils

Mild, sweet and buttery. Red lentils cook the quickest and break down causing a creamier, richer soup. They do this because they have been split in half and their outer coating has been removed (typically).

Yellow lentils

Yellow lentils are usually hulled and split just like red lentils. Yellow lentils are slightly larger than red and have a mild, buttery taste.

Quick cooking lentils are great to have on hand for busy nights that call for quicker dinners!

Brown lentils

Mild and earthy, brown lentils are the most common. They cook fairly quickly and hold their shape better than red or yellow.

Black lentils

Black lentils are the healthiest of the bunch. Remember to “eat the rainbow” as these earthy flavored lentils pack some antioxidants and so much more!

Green lentils

Green lentils take the longest to cook and hold their shape the best. If you’re after a creamier soup I suggest blending a cup or two of your finished soup in the blender and stirring it back into your pot!

Red lentils	10-20 min.
Yellow lentils	15-25 min.
Brown lentils	25-30 min.
Black lentils	25-30 min.
Green lentils	35-45 min.

Need to soak your own garbanzo beans? No problem. Rinse and sort garbanzo beans/chick peas and add them to a large pot and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil for several minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let set about 1 hour. Drain and rise beans once more. Cover with several inches of water again, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer with a tilted lid for almost 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Drain. Now you can stir the beans into your favorite recipes.

Easy herbed garlic naan! Made with yogurt or sour cream, this fluffy bread recipe will be a new favorite. So quick and delicious!

Print Pin

Coconut curry lentil soup

Beyond quick (about 30 minutes), coconut curry lentil soup is filling, delicious and easy on the budget!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Indian

Keyword cheese soup, chickpeas, coconut flour, curry, garbanzo, lentils, soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Equipment

Soup pot or dutch oven.

Ingredients

1 medium onion chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 tsp oil (olive, avocado or coconut)
1 tsp garlic chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry powder (more or less to desired taste/spice level)
½ tsp ground ginger or 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
salt & pepper
32 oz (4 cups) stock/broth veggie or chicken or plain water
15 oz can of coconut milk
1 cup dried red lentils
15 oz can garbanzo beans (aka chick peas)
lime or lemon
fresh herbs for garnish cilantro, parsley and chives all work great!

Instructions

Chop onions, carrots and celery. Should roughly equal 2 cups of chopped veggies.
Add veggies to a soup pot or dutch oven with 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally about 5 minutes.
Sprinkle with garlic and spices. Stir one minute. Doesn't that smell heavenly?!
Deglaze the pot with 32 oz stock/broth. Stir in coconut milk, lentils, and garbanzo beans.
Simmer 15 minutes until lentils are tender (*see note on different lentils and their cooking times.) I cover my pot and leave the lid vented.
Give your soup one last taste and adjust any spices as necessary. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a squeeze of lemon or lime and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. Ah! Enjoy! Wasn't that easy?

Notes

Cinnamon- It may seem weird or unnecessary but I assure you it is delicious and this recipe does not taste quite right without it. It is not over powering.

Ginger– I LOVE ginger but take caution that too much powdered ginger tends to taste bitter. If you want a more pronounced ginger flavor swap out the powdered with fresh! Tubes of fresh ginger from the produce section or pre portioned frozen ginger are great alternatives to buying a piece of ginger if you’re not sure when you’ll use it next.

Lentils- Red lentils cook the quickest at around 10-20 minutes and break down causing a creamier soup. Brown lentils take 20-30 minutes to cook and hold more of their shape. Green lentils take 35-45 minutes to cook and hold their shape quite well so if you’re after a creamier soup I suggest blending a cup or two of your finished soup in the blender and stirring it back into your pot!