Curried red lentil, tomato and coconut soup

 

Winter has brought soup back to our dining table, and what a Winter Warmer this bowl of creamy lentil deliciousness is. Perfectly balanced herbs and spices with a hint of heat, are a specialty of Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe repertoire, and as a bonus this soup is also nourishing, hearty and gluten-free. It is also vegetarian.

The first time I made this soup, I added potatoes, celery and carrots to the original recipe just to include more vegetables, however you can leave all or any of those out if you wish. The more vegetables the better though I think, however a lentil soup like this one with loads of flavour can work without them. The bowls of soup below are a beautiful colour due to the addition of extra carrots and I also pureed it, which is optional.

Photo of the first batch I made of this soup

We used leftover coriander roots and stalks in this soup, and the earthy unique coriander flavour which has the texture of chives, along with the other aromatic ingredients make this soup memorable, and one bowl just isn't enough. It's also a cinch to make.

This recipe is based on one by Yotam Ottolenghi, from his cookbook called " SIMPLE".

A nice little bunch of flowers from our Winter garden

Ingredients:

Serves 4

150g red lentils, rinsed and drained

1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon medium curry powder 

2 tablespoons coconut oil (or sunflower oil)

25g coriander stalks, roughly chopped, plus 5 g picked leaves for a garnish

1 onion, finely chopped (160g )

2 stalks of celery, finely chopped (optional)

4cm piece of ginger,  peeled and finely chopped (30 g)

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk

salt and black pepper to taste

2 potatoes, diced (optional)

2 carrots, diced (optional)

Method:

Fry the onion and celery in the oil in a medium saucepan on a medium high heat, for 8 minutes and stir frequently until the onion is soft and caramelised.

Add the spices, the curry powder, chilli flakes, garlic and ginger and continue frying this mixture for 2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.

Add the lentils, stir and through the spice mixture.

Add the tomatoes, the potatoes, the carrots, coriander and roots, 600 ml of water, 1 teaspoon of salt and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Take your coconut milk, pour into a bowl, and gently whisk until smooth and creamy. Take a smaller bowl, and add 4 tablespoons of your coconut milk to the bowl, this will be used later for serving.

Add all the remaining coconut milk to the soup mixture. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer gently for 25 minutes. The lentils by then should be soft but still holding their shape. 

If you like your soup with a smoother texture, by all means blitz it. However, we generally like this soup with a rougher texture, with the lentils still holding their shape and the coriander remaining distinct. Ottolenghi also likes his soup this way. This is a photo taken from the first time I made it, when we blitzed it to a smoother consistency.

If your soup is too thick for your tastes, add some more water, about 100-150 ml should do it.

Ladle out the soup into four bowls, drizzle over the reserved coconut milk, sprinkle with coriander leaves, a hint of lime juice, and warm, charred naan for dunking if you wish. Serve and enjoy.

 

This is the curry powder I used for this batch of soup. It provided the perfect amount of heat for our taste. This curry blend has so many aromatic flavours in it, and they shone through in the soup.

This soup could also be thinned down, and be very enjoyable on a warm Summer's evening. 

What a perfect meal this delicious vegetarian soup is for Meat-free Monday.

Best wishes,

 Pauline