This lovely coloured soup works well for dreary rainy winter days. Just look at it! It will put a smile on your face and its heavenly curried coconut scent helps to add a bit of lift to your step. It’s like sunshine in a bowl…or at least the next best thing.
Now, about the ginger. For this recipe, I used a few diced bits of candied ginger (not to be confused with the ginger candy I used in the banana bread recipe). Using candied ginger along with the coconut milk made the soup slightly sweet. If the sweetness thing isn’t for you, scratch the candied ginger and just use the fresh grated kind (or the powdered kind if it’s all you have). Both my husband and I really liked this soup, and the sweetness provided a nice counter-balance to the hotness of the curry and chilis. This one is a definite keeper.
coconut ginger lentil soup
1 T vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 t red chili flakes
1 t cumin seeds, freshly ground using a mortar & pestle
1 T grated ginger root
1 T curry paste (I used Patak’s Balti)
1 c red lentils, rinsed
3 c water or vegetable stock
1 tiny can coconut milk (156 ml)
1 T candied ginger, diced
yogurt (optional)In a large soup pot, heat up the oil and saute the onion, garlic, carrots and celery until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the cumin, chili flakes, ginger root and curry paste and saute for another minute. Stir in the lentils and add in the water or stock. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, until lentils are somewhat soft. Add in the coconut milk and the candied ginger and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve with a dollop of yogurt.
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Such a wonderful soup variety!!
**Just as a heads up: I will not be able to comment on blogs as often now, during this semester, due to work overload (I’m stressed already) – PLEASE know that I’m still loyally reading, but just won’t have time to comment. I hope you understand!!
It is a very cold day here today. I can feel the cold drafts coming in from outside. I could use a bowl of coconut ginger soup. I really wanted to make this as soon as I saw your post, but I have no coconut milk and no fresh ginger (my powdered stuff is stale)…drats!
Off I go to your recipe index and see what else I can whip up using lentils.
Did you visit my food blog yet? You should. I’ve mentioned you in it, ha ha!
YUM! The soup sounds perfect for winter. I love ginger.
and good for you too!
eating some of that will make me feel good indeed.
Sounds delicious. I think I’ll have to make some this weekend.
What a timely recipe! I have both primary ingredients languishing in my fridge at the moment!
I love your blog. Thank you. 🙂
Looks fanstatic! So we use both grated ginger and candied ginger?
no worries, veggiegirl! school comes first!
bijoux, i've heard how cold it is in toronto! bundle up and make soup.
pinkstripes, it is perfect for the winter. anything warm, comforting and gingery is good with me!
indeed, dawn, i think it's pretty healthy! and delicious too 🙂
kristin, it's a good soup. i hope you try it out.
laura, hope you make it & like it as much as i do!
pravina, yes, both gingers or either! your call 🙂
seedtosoul, lentils (esp. the red ones) cook super quickly. no soaking and they're ready in just about 20 minutes!
I always get discouraged out of using lentils in soup because the recipes I have always say to soak the lentils over night…I’m going to have to try this recipe, I’m always looking for a good soup recipe!
Crazy. This is essentially what I had planned for dinner last night, and I did it–minus carrots and celery, plus sweet potatoes and canned tomatoes. What a good idea you had!
oh man i love your soups! i make the red lemon lentil soup at least twice a month. cant wait to whip this one up as well.
Wow, that looks so good! It is lunch time and I am hungry…I need a big bowl of that right now!
Looks delicious. I can’t wait to try making it!
Someone’s on a ginger kick…and I’m loving it! This looks fantastic and warming.
Yum! I’m going to try this and add a little cooked up chicken. I love coconut + chicken.
maven, great minds think alike!
marci, i hope you like this one just as much!
trust me, it makes a great lunch, sarena!
thanks jenine!
a ginger kick definitely, cakespy!
carol, i’ve never mixed lentils and chicken but i’m sure it would be a great combo.
MMMMM…This sounds so wonderful. I could use a bowl right about now – I’m freezing!
You are speaking my language there with that soup. Nuff said!
oh yum! what a great soup combo that sounds delicious!
This sounds really amazing. I definitely need to try this soup.It has a lot of great flavors!
Mmm this soup looks really good. And you grind your cumin seeds with a mortar and pestle! I should try to use whole seeds and grind them myself – though I’d more likely use a coffee grinder, not quite as impressive.
Thanks for a new lentil soup recipe. With our cold weather we have had lately, this soup would be a welcome addition.
How creative! I just made a big batch of lentil soup the other day, but will have to try your version soon!
I have only been reading food blogs for a couple of weeks and yours has quickly become my favourite.
I made a double batch of this soup and it didn’t last 24 hours between 2 people. It was fantastic and I think I could have eaten it all by myself.
hayley, what's up with all this cold weather! brrrrr.
indeed, thanks daily spud!
amira, it definitely is a great combo 🙂
lori, this is flavour-packed!
eatme, a coffee grinder is fine! i have a mortar & pestle so that's what i use…and it's great for working out some aggression too!
definitely, eat! this soup is made for cold weather.
katina, i love that there are so many different kinds of lentil soup you can make!
thanks for the complement, j! glad you loved the soup.
hmmmm, I’ve been craving lentil soup and trying to decide what variety I should make. This looks like a crackin’ version. 🙂 Since it has been around -20*C the last couple of days and predicted to get a bit colder, AND because someone gave me a package of lentils as a good luck gift for the new year, I think I’ll give your recipe a go this weekend. 🙂
Excellent food blog, btw, and nice to see it is written by another BC gal!
Hi,
I love any soup that has red lentils in it. I am confused by the “tiny can” of coconut milk. What size is that? I just have a regular 400 ml can. Should I use the whole thing?
Hi Lizanne, this is a great soup, so I hope you enjoy it. The tiny can is a 156ml can which I bought at my local grocer in Chinatown. I would use half a regular can or make a double batch.
This is definitely one of the best soups I have ever made. SO YUMMY!
This soup has become a staple over the years in my house. We love it spooned over a bed of spinach that wilts with the heat of the soup. Flavors, color, spice all warm you from the inside. (We are definitely a double-batch / 400ml-coconut-milk-can kind of house!)
Thanks for this recipe, it’s really good! I used yellow curry powder instead of paste so I’m sure the end result was different but still very delicious 🙂
Still making this in 2020! It’s the best.
Love it, thanks, Nat!! Glad it’s still a favourite!