This soup is way more than the sum of its parts. The lemon, cilantro and coconut come together to make a Thai-inspired soup that is filling in a very light and satisfying way. Lentils are my favorite and most utilized vegetarian protein and I cannot say enough good things about them. They are high in both fiber and protein, as well as iron. For a very simple complete meal you could serve this soup with some avocado toast - sprinkle the avocado with sea salt and garlic granules.
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Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Coconut & Cilantro
Notes: Use all orange (as opposed to rainbow) carrots in this recipe for visual appeal. In the same vein, use the traditional white (as opposed to purple) cauliflower. You can swap out yellow squash for the cauliflower as well. Traditional green zucchini gives it more of a muddled look, though. Also, I use lemon here because I always have lemon around, but lime would be great, too. You would probably need more limes as most limes tend to be less juicy than lemons. As always, don’t forget to go through your lentils and remove any pebbles or wheat berries that may be lurking in there!
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium / large carrots, cut in half the long way, then sliced
1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped into relatively small pieces to match the carrots
2 cups red lentils, picked over and rinsed
7 cups water
1/2 can coconut milk
Juice of 1-2 lemons, depending on juiciness / taste
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Sea salt to taste (usually 2-3 teaspoons)
To serve:
More chopped cilantro, if desired
Sriracha-style hot sauce is fantastic with this soup
Heat the coconut oil in a large stock pot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté a couple minutes more, still stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Next add the carrots and cauliflower and sweat all the vegetables for a few minutes more, adding a bit more coconut oil if the pot looks dry. Pour in the lentils and water, turn the heat to high, and bring everything to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low (just enough to keep a visible simmer), and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils lose their structure.
Add the coconut milk, lemon, salt and cilantro to finish. Taste and adjust lemon and/or salt as necessary.
Serve with extra cilantro if you like, and hot sauce on the side.
Serves 6-8
