This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see our privacy policy.
With lots of fresh veggies and healthy lentils simmered in a flavorful coconut broth, this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup is a delicious meal in a bowl!
When I handed Scott (my meat-loving husband) a bowl of this plant-based, super healthy Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup for dinner one evening I wasn't sure what the response would be. I loved it and couldn't believe the delicious flavor that the simple recipe had produced. When Scott took the first spoonful and said, "Wow, this is delicious!", I knew we had a winner!
Origins
This Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup is a recipe I adapted from Epicurious. They sent an email last week featuring their "70 all-time most popular recipes". Having a curiosity for all things culinary, I clicked on the link and scrolled through the recipes. When I saw this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup, I stopped in my tracks. It not only looked and sounded really delicious, but the recipe creator is also one of my favorite chefs, Yotam Ottolenghi.
Yotam Ottolenghi is a genius in the culinary world. He currently resides and has numerous restaurants and little cafés in London but he's originally from Israel. He's a culinary magician when it comes to vegetables and spice combinations and SO many other things. He's also written numerous cookbooks.
All that to say, I knew before I made this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup that it would be wonderful. I did adapt it a bit, adding more veggies and fresh herbs, but the basic recipe is his.
Red lentils
Are you familiar with red lentils? If not, you're missing out on something wonderful. Red lentils are not only super healthy, but they're also beautiful little stars in the culinary world
When you purchase red lentils you'll note that they're really more orange in color than red. But something magical happens when they're cooked... the reddish-orange color is metamorphosized to a gorgeous golden yellow.
Red lentils cook quickly, have a slightly sweet, earthy flavor and, as mentioned above, are packed full of nutritional benefits.
Little nutritional powerhouses
Here are some of the nutritional facts about red lentils:
- They're high in protein - Â a one-cup serving of red lentils has 17.8 grams of protein which satisfies 32% of the daily protein requirement for men and 38% for women.
- Because red lentils are high in protein and fiber, they can help with weight reduction. How does this work? The fiber helps you feel satiated quicker and slows down the rate at which carbs enter the bloodstream thereby keeping blood sugar at a good level. Protein keeps away hunger which can cause binge eating.
- Red lentils are a great way to get your B vitamins... vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and thiamine. Cooked red lentils have 358 micrograms of vitamin B9 (90% of the RDA for adults), also known as folate. Folate is essential in the production of red blood cells and DNA which aids in energy metabolism.
- Red lentils are a great source of iron, magnesium and zinc.
Lots of veggies
I'm always trying to squeeze extra veggies into my recipes and this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup recipe is no exception. So in addition to the onion and crushed tomatoes in the original recipe, I added lots of diced carrot, roasted red pepper and potato. The carrots, peppers and potatoes boost the nutritional benefits of this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup and they also give pretty color contrast to the finished soup.
The additional veggies also make the soup quite hearty, perfect for a meal in one bowl!
The easy way to chop veggies!
If you've been following The Café for any amount of time, I'm pretty sure you know that I'm a big fan of the Vidalia veggie chopper. I'm pretty basic when it comes to kitchen tools but this little gadget is worth its weight in gold. It quickly chops onions, peppers, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, celery, apples, pears, jicama... even winter squash.
I use it to make the prep for this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup a quick and easy breeze.
Because I love this little kitchen workhorse and use it so frequently, I asked my daughter-in-law, Lindsay to put together a video to demonstrate what an easy timesaver this chopper is. Check it out:
Put this delicious soup on your must-make soon list. I promise the carnivores in your family won't miss the meat!
Café Tips for making this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup
- This recipe calls for red lentils. You can find red lentils at most larger grocery stores in the same section where you find dried beans and other lentils. If your grocery store doesn't carry them, Whole Foods definitely does. You can also order them online.
- I like to use coconut oil for this Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup as it adds an additional layer of delicious flavor but extra virgin olive oil will also work.
- If you haven't used coconut oil before, you may be surprised to discover that it, unlike other oils, it's quite thick and has to be scooped (rather than poured) from the jar. I've used both refined and unrefined coconut oil with good success.
- This recipe calls for finely chopped cilantro. Half of it is added before the soup is simmered, the other half at the end before serving. If you're not a cilantro fan, I recommend adding the initial ¼ cup. After the soup is simmered, I promise you won't recognize it as cilantro but it adds a wonderful, unique layer of flavor. Then sub basil or simply omit the other ¼ cup that's added later
- You can use either low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth for this Curried Red Lentil Soup recipe. If you only have regular broth, skip the salt and add it at the end, to taste.
- Curry powder can vary greatly from brand to brand. I like to use a mild curry powder as we're not fans of super spicy food. I like Rajah and Rani brands. Both are mild curry powders. If you have your own favorite, go with that!
- This recipe calls for 1 can of coconut milk. Coconut milk comes in light or regular varieties. Either will work for this soup. If you're watching your weight, light coconut milk has significantly fewer calories. The regular variety though will yield a richer-tasting soup.
- We love to garnish this soup with lots of fresh herbs. Cilantro, basil and/or mint are delicious options. We also enjoy diced avocado and a scatter of green onions, thinly sliced diagonally as well as wedges of lime.
Thought for the  day:
The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything,
but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God,
which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:5-7
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoy this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear your results, adaptations, and ideas for variations.
Scroll Down for the Recipe - or Save It to Your Inbox
We’ll email you the recipe so it’s easy to save, print, or share.
Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger, or ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon medium curry powder, I use Rajah mild Madras
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, maybe more
- 14.5 ounces crushed tomatoes or crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 14.5-ounce can
- 13.5 ounces coconut milk, 1 13.5-ounce can
- 1 cup red lentils
- 3 medium-size carrots , peeled and diced small (6-7 ounces)
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers, well-drained and diced small
- 1 large russet or yellow potato, peeled and diced small (about 8 ounces)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- lime wedges, Greek yogurt, cilantro, thinly sliced scallions, avocado for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium-large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic, ginger and curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, lentils, diced carrot, roasted red pepper, potato, ÂĽ cup of the cilantro (set aside the remaining ÂĽ cup), salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer gently (uncovered), stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft and veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Add the remaining ÂĽ cup cilantro and stir to combine.
- If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add a bit more broth at this point.
- To serve, divide soup among bowls. Garnish with fresh herbs, diced avocado, thinly sliced scallions and/or with lime wedges.
- Soup (without toppings) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Warm gently on the stovetop. If the soup is too thick, you can thin it with a little more broth.
Notes
Nutrition
Shop Our Café Loves
We’ve gathered our favorite kitchen tools, tableware, and entertaining treasures in one place, the Café Loves store. It’s a wonderful spot to find something special for yourself or the cooks and hosts you love!
Does this soup freeze well?
Hi Dale, yes, this does freeze well. If it's separated after it thaws, just give it a good stir and you'll be good to go!
I have been lentil crazy for the past months. This curried red lentil coconut is absolutely phenomenal! So, so delicious I can't express myself enough!
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Mary!
Delicious, easy, quick. It was dinner with bread for us. It's going to a friend who needs a meal tomorrow.
Great! Thank you for the review, Jan!
This soup is wonderful! My husband loved it which is always a good sign. Thanks Chris.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Susan!
This is delicious soup!!
I added 1/2 a block of extra form tofu , an handful of cilantro and 1/2 a Serrano chili (not diced) for a bit of heat. Perfect.
I’m not vegetarian so used better than bullion chicken stock.
Will keep this in my fall/winter dinner rotation for sure!
Thanks for your review, Mary Neville!
Perfect for cold days!
This soup is fabulous. I love the ingredients and it was very easy to make. I passed it on to my dietician and I am pretty sure she will also give it a thumbs up. Love your recipes and website. So beautifully assembled. And thank you for posting the nutrition component as well. Very helpful!
Thanks so much for letting us know, Deb! So glad you enjoyed this 🙂
Hi Chris,
First of all, I listened to your music for inspiration today. What a gift to my day...heavenly.
Secondly, I just made a double batch of this for both dinner tonight and our house church fellowship tomorrow.
It is just wonderful. I want to let you know, perhaps for others' sake, what I added. I love making Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, so I knew what my palate wanted to throw in and it turned out beautifully.
I added (based on single recipe) a heaping teaspoon cumin, 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, and about 1/4 cup of golden raisons. The sweetness of the raisons with the spiciness of the curry is really delicious.
Your blog is masterfully done and keeps me returning again and again.
I wish we were neighbors. 🙂
Thank you for the kind and encouraging comment, Colleen! And thank you for your review of the soup. So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I use regular brown lentils? I can’t find red lentils locally.
You can use brown lentils. The flavor will be wonderful but the soup won't be as pretty. You also may need to cook the soup a little longer for the brown lentils to soften.
Delicious!!! My vegetarian kids generally think they’ve been over-exposed to lentils but we all loved this soup. So bright and flavorful. Thank you!
That's awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Melissa!
This is another winner, Chris! I just had a big old bowl of it straight off the stove. I also added a cup or so of frozen peas toward the end as someone else had mentioned. This was excellent! Really looking forward to leftovers. What are your thoughts on freezing this given the coconut milk?
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Amanda! It should freeze well.
HaHaHa never mind. We ate it all!!! Maybe we'll get around to freezing it next time 🙂
This gets better and better the longer it hangs out in the fridge!
Ha! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I have made both the Epicurious version and this version. We thought they were both very good but this version had more depth of flavor.
We will definitely make this again.
Thank you, Ellie!
My niece & I just finished making this soup. We were seeking a recipe that is high in iron as her dad has been sick & has low hemoglobin. Plus there are 18 g of protein in one cup.
It is as delicious as it is beautiful!
This was my first time cooking with curry . ..such added flavor.
Another winner!!!
Wonderful! Thank you for letting us know, Pamela!
Chris,
My family loves this soup. We find it particularly delicious with the toppings you suggest! I did add a bit of frozen Petite green peas during the last few minutes of the cook time. The peas only need to defrost and warn through.
One of many great recipes. Thanks!
Thank you, Anita! I'm so glad you enjoyed this.
Chris- My hubby and I went whole food plant based back in October but you both are still one of my fav food bloggers! I keep looking at recipes as you post for ways to revise them. Seeing this one in my in box made my day! Can’t wait to try this. We are huge lentil fans and the red ones Cook up so quickly. Great weeknight meal. Keep the WFPB recipes coming. You have fans out here.
Thank you, Christi! I'm so happy to hear that. Thank you for letting us know!
This looks delicious, and I am looking forward to making it this weekend!
I was just wondering if you use dried lentils, or do you pre-soak or cook them before adding them to the recipe?
Thank
you!
Hi Suzi, just use the dried lentils. Red lentils cook quickly so there's no need to soak them.
Hi Chris - I can’t wait to try this recipe! I have a friend with whom I often share meals and she doesn’t like cooked carrots at all. Would you recommend any other changes if I leave them out? I’m also wondering about subbing the potato for sweet potato for better nutrition. Do you think that work with the other flavors?
Hi Denise, you could definitely skip the carrots and sweet potatoes would be delicious!
Thank you! I’ll report back after I make it.
We LOVED the Red Lentil Ginger Carrot soup and now can't wait to try this one, too! My daughters even asked for the recipe for the first one. Thanks so much also for including all the extra vegs - a winner all around.
I'm so glad, Sunny! Let us know once you try it 🙂