Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Cozy, hearty and packed with flavor, this one-pot Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup is the perfect weeknight dinner or meal prep recipe.
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Equipment
- cutting board and knife
- microplane optional, for grating ginger
- stock pot or Dutch oven
- wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 1 inch thumb ginger grated
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 jalapeños finely diced (remove seeds to make less spicy)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 medium carrots peeled and grated
- 1 cup red lentils picked over and rinsed until water runs clear
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 lemon juiced (about 1 tablespoon of juice)
- 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk or cream (optional)
- salt and pepper to preference
To Garnish (Optional)
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes (if using), and allow to bloom for about 1 minute to extract the flavors.
- Add in onion, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño and sauté for 5-8 minutes, until the mixture takes on an even golden brown color. If it starts to stick or darken too fast, add a splash of water to deglaze, and reduce the heat slightly.
- Once a golden brown color is achieved, add in tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring often, until it goes from a bright red to a deep rust color.
- Add in the spices (ground cumin, coriander, paprika, and turmeric) and a tablespoon of water and stir until well-combined. Cook out the raw flavor of the spices for about a minute.
- Deglaze the pan with vegetable broth. Add in the thoroughly rinsed red lentils and grated carrots and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- Stir in coconut milk or cream and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper to preference. (Salt will vary depending on sodium content of your vegetable broth.)
- Serve alone or with basmati rice. Goes well garnished with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Storage and reheating: Stores well in an airtight container for about 5 days in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer. May thicken slightly in the fridge; you can add an extra splash of water when reheating to thin it back out if you like.
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.