Vegetarian (or vegan) and delicious: Red Lentil Soup

You’ll want to add this hearty soup of red lentils, coconut and coconut milk, garam masala, spinach and tomatoes to your rotation. Recipe below.

BY MOST STANDARDS, WE COOK WITH LENTILS A LOT. But to us, every time we do, we lament that we don’t do so more often. Most recently, cooking this vegetarian soup with red lentils, coconut and coconut milk, spinach, and tomatoes had us thinking just that.

In some ways, lentils are the ideal legume. Every bit as flavorful and good for you as their bean-y, chickpea-y relatives, they cook up way faster—without any of that pesky pre-soaking or cooking for hours. Depending on the recipe, lentils can go from dry to dinner in as little as 15 or 20 minutes.

Originally cultivated in the Middle East, lentils have spread to dinner tables all over the world. They are a staple in South Asian cuisine—particularly that of the subcontinent. The garam masala in this dish puts it kind of in that camp.

This recipe is inspired by one Bon Appétit ran several years ago. It is so delicious and comforting and satisfying—way out of proportion to the ease and speed of its preparation. It tastes great straight off the stove; it tastes even better the next day; and if you go with nondairy yogurt or no topping at all, it is totally vegan. You are going to love this soup.

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Red Lentil Soup

This hearty vegetarian—or vegan—soup cooks too quickly to taste this good.

Servings 4 or more, as a meal

Ingredients

• 2– 3 tablespoons olive oil you may use coconut oil
• 1 large or 2 medium white or yellow onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 inches ginger, peeled, smashed and minced
• 2 tablespoons garam masala (see Kitchen notes for substitutions)
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional—see Kitchen Notes)
• 1 13-1/2-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk—not low-fat
• 1 cup split red lentils (see Kitchen Notes)
• 5 – 6 cups water
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut store the remainder in the fridge
• 2 teaspoons salt you will likely need more, but hold off to the end
• 10 – 12 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced or crushed tomatoes
• plain yogurt either whole milk or nondairy, your choice

Instructions

• In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or big pot, heat the oil over medium flame, then gently sauté the onions until they start to become translucent—6 or 7 minutes.
• Add the garlic and ginger, and keep sautéing until the garlic starts to turn golden, about 2 more minutes. Then stir in the garam masala and the cayenne and sauté everything together for another 1 or 2 minutes.
• Stir in the coconut milk to blend everything. Then add the red lentils, the water and the shredded coconut. Give everything a good stir. Add the salt, stir again, bring it all to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.
• Stir the soup now and then—I set a timer and stirred it about every 5 or 6 minutes. You want the lentils to soften and start to break down, which will take around half an hour. When the soup reaches that point, add the spinach and the tomatoes all at once. Stir and cook a few more minutes.
• Taste; adjust the salt and add more cayenne pepper if you like. To serve, ladle into bowls. If you like, top with a dollop of whole-milk yogurt or, if you want a vegan dish, a nondairy yogurt—or nothing at all.

Kitchen Notes

Garam masala or… Garam masala is a spice blend from South Asia. There are many recipes for making your own, but there are plenty of well-made commercial blends. One of our favorites is part of our friend Anupy Singla’s Indian as Apple Pie line. We’ve also used Singapore Citrus Curry Blend from the Spice House, and it is excellent in this dish. Of course, you can also use commercial curry powder.

Cayenne pepper, begrudgingly optional. Okay, you may omit this if you really do not care for cayenne pepper, but I encourage you to try a little dot. It adds a nice bit of zing.

Red lentils or… Red lentils are smaller than others, with a mild, slightly sweet flavor. They also cook slightly faster than larger brown or black lentils. You can find red lentils in most places (you may have to look in the “international” section if they aren’t with the other legumes). You can also use brown or black lentils; just check the cooking time.

Liz’s Crockery Corner. This week’s bowl is not antique! This handsome fellow is from Crate and Barrel—it’s a Marin cereal bowl and it is currently in stock. We love its wavy top and matte speckly finish.