This has been on my regular rotation since the beginning of the year when I re-committed myself to eating more vegetarian meals. I have 2 kids and as many people know, pleasing a variety of palates in one household can be complicated. This recipe works for us all. Even better, I am able to “sneak” in nutrient-dense veggies – important with a picky toddler at the dinner table!
Best of all, it’s a quick and easy 1 pot meal.
I make this in the slow cooker so it requires minimal effort but you could also make it on the stovetop.
*Please note* I don’t usually measure ingredients in the kitchen so these are my best estimates. You can always add more broth or seasonings at the end of cooking if needed.
Coconut Curry Lentil Soup Recipe
- 2 cups soaked red lentils (soak overnight, add 1 tsp vinegar to soak water to soften lentils, rinse and discard soak water before cooking)
- 1 bag baby carrots
- 2 cups roughly chopped butternut squash
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (include the creamy portion and the watery portion)
- ~3.5 cups broth – chicken bone broth and veggie broth both work well (all ingredients should be fully covered by broth)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2-1 tsp salt (depending on the sodium content of your broth)
- 1 TBS ghee (clarified butter)
Put all ingredients in crock pot and cook on low heat for 8 hours. After lentils and veggies are soft, blend with a hand/stick blender and your soup is ready. I love to add fresh cilantro and/or slivered almonds to top mine.
Variations
I have added cauliflower and spinach to mine and both tasted good to me. The picky toddler could detect the cauliflower and rejected hers. :( The spinach tastes neutral but it changes the color of the soup to more of a brown/green instead of the beautiful golden color that it normally is. Using fresh ginger and turmeric root gives the flavor added depth if you’re feeling fancy!
Enjoy and let me know how yours turns out!
Dr. Holly German
Naturopathic Doctor
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