Red Lentil Soup with Lemon, Coconut & Cilantro

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

Moroccan Lentil Soup

This is one of my favorite soups. It’s easy to put together, it tastes like more than the sum of its parts, and it’s super healthy. If I have homemade bone broth, I’ll use some in this soup for an added nutrient boost. Sometimes I use half bone broth and half water. The rest of the time I use 100% water and that’s delicious as well.

Lentils are amazing. High in both fiber and protein, they’re a wonderful meat alternative and they also nourish our microbiota and help balance blood sugar. They are high in B-vitamins, iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium, among other things.

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Moroccan Lentil Soup
Adapted from the Moroccan Lentil and Cabbage Soup in the Nourishing Meals cookbook by Alissa Segersten & Tom Malterre (one of my favorites!)

Notes: If gluten is a problem for you, then be sure to pick through your lentils to remove any wheat berries. Every once in a while I will find a little pebble in there too. Don’t forget to rinse afterwards. The cabbage may seem like a lot, but it cooks down. It gives everything more of a stew consistency. If you don’t have it, you can definitely go without and it will still be wonderful.

Recipe updated 1/1/2023

Good plug of olive oil
2 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 medium / large yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 large or 4-5 small / medium carrots, diced
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
10 cups bone broth, vegetable broth or water (or combination)
1 medium head savoy cabbage, shredded
Sea salt to taste

To serve:
Avocado, sliced or mashed with a bit of sea salt
Chopped cilantro
Or nothing… it’s perfect on its own!

Pour a glug of olive oil into a large stockpot over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute more, then add the celery and carrots and let it all cook and soften for a few more minutes.

Next come the spices - add them to the pot and stir. Quickly drop in the lentils and the broth/water and bring the pot to high heat.

Once the soup comes to a gentle boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Shred the cabbage towards the end of the cooking time. When the lentils are done cooking, leave the heat on for a bit longer while you add the cabbage and let it soften in the stew. Salt to taste and enjoy!

Serves 8-10

Curried Cabbage Soup

One of my favorite soups - it's hearty and filling without being heavy. It tastes good the day you make it, but by day 2 or 3, it’s amazing.

I’ve found that kids usually like curry flavoring. Hammie happily eats this soup. Daniel takes a little cajoling, which is normal for him, but in the end he will eat it as well. Teaching a picky eater to have an appreciation for a wide range of healthy foods isn’t for the faint of heart :)

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Curried Cabbage Soup
Adapted from the Cabbage Soup recipe in Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson.

2-3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
1 medium/large yellow potato, cut into small cubes
1 yellow onion, chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (7 teaspoons) curry powder
5 1/2 - 6 cups water
15-oz can white beans, chickpeas or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 medium head of green cabbage, shredded
15-oz can full-fat coconut milk
Sea salt to taste (I usually use about 3 teaspoons)

Heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium heat and add the potatoes and a sprinkle of sea salt. Cook, covered, for about 5-6 minutes, stirring several times and scraping the bottom of the pan really well, until the potatoes are browned a bit.

Next add a little more coconut oil if needed and toss in the onion and cook (now uncovered) for several minutes until the onion starts to soften (stirring frequently). Add the garlic, and cook for a couple minutes more (still stirring often), then add the curry powder and stir for another minute.

Pour in 5 1/2 cups of water, add in the beans and bring to a simmer. Toss in the cabbage (it will look like a lot but it cooks down significantly), stir and simmer for another 5-8 more minutes (if the cabbage isn’t totally covered, then pour in a bit more water). Finally pour in the coconut milk and season with sea salt to taste. Depending on how soft you prefer your cabbage, you may choose to simmer the soup for several more minutes at the end.

Enjoy!

Serves 8