Looking for a plant and protein packed soup to warm you up this season? Get your grocery list and add the ingredients to this Spiced Carrot and Lentil soup pronto!
What You’ll Need to Make Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
- 1 onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can diced chiles (do not drain or rinse)
- 1 cup lentils, uncooked
- 4 cups of vegetable broth (I use Better Than Bouillon paste) (may need an additional 2 cups of water)
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp curry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
How to Make
Who doesn’t love a one pot meal? This can easily be made in one large stock pot or skillet. It can alternatively be slow cooked for 4-6 hours on low.
Step One:
Sauté the diced onion, diced and peeled carrots, minced garlic, and canned chiles together with the oil. This will take about five minutes as the carrots do not need to be completely cooked during this step. Add in all spices and stir to coat the vegetables.
Step Two:
Add the broth and lentils to your pot. Bring the soup up to a boil and once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. I highly recommend while it’s cooking you prepare a side salad or cut some sour dough bread to go alongside this meal.
Step Three:
This last step is option but once your lentils are cooked, if you want a thinner consistency add half a cup of water. Still not thin enough? Add another half cup until it’s the right consistency for you. If a thicker consistency is preferred, take your immersion blender to the soup and puree about half of it. This can also be done by removing half, blending it, and stirring the two halves back together before serving.
Variations
To make it creamier, add half a cup of 2% milk or heavy cream at the end instead of additional water. A carrot lentil soup like this has lots of textures but if you prefer one consistency, puree the entire soup.
Adding Animal Protein
This is a vegetarian meal great for meatless Monday but an animal protein certainly can be added. Try adding shredded boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ground pork, or maybe even shrimp. To save on the cost of animal proteins, keep at least half of the protein, lentils.
What To Serve It With
As stated above, I recommend serving this with a simple side salad and some sourdough bread. A whole grain dinner roll could be another great option. For a topping, I recommend a dollop of plain whole milk Greek Yogurt. The cooling effect will blend great with the spice from the curry.
Storage
Can you freeze lentil curry soup?
Yes, absolutely! Lentils freeze really well and this soup is already in my freezer waiting for me to enjoy more of it after the birth of our second baby. It makes a great postpartum meal as well and can keep in the freezer for up to three months. Beyond that, the quality and taste may be affected.
If you want to make this soup fresh but you’re a meal prep practicer like me, cook your lentils ahead of time. I recommend cooking them in water but add a bit of that Bouillon paste mentioned above. Freeze your cooked lentils in one or two cup servings. If making this soup with pre-cooked lentils, thaw the lentils and reduce the broth amount by half.
Reheating Tips
Soups like this one reheat great on the stove top in a small pot. Alternatively, they can be reheated in the microwave. I recommend portioning out the soup and microwaving each portion individually. Stir every thirty to sixty seconds.
Nutritional Boosts
Looking for extra nutrients? Soups are easy to add boosts to whether it is leftover veggies you’ve got in the fridge, hemp hearts, or even nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is a source of plant-based protein, B vitamins and even some trace minerals. It looks like small yellow flakes and a tablespoon or two will combine beautifully in each individual bowl.
Other Soups To Try
Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 4.5 oz can green diced chiles
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup lentils uncooked
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Dice the onions and peel and dice the carrots. Mince the garlic.
- Add the oil to the skillet and allow the pan to warm up to medium heat. Add the vegetables, garlic, and green chiles (do not drain or rinse) and sauté for about five minutes.
- Add the spices and coat the vegetable mixture.
- Add the lentils and broth and bring the soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- Optional: Puree half of the soup for a thicker consistency or gradually add half a cup of water for a thinner consistency.
Notes
- Instead of adding water at the end try adding half a cup of milk or heavy cream until you reach a desired consistency.
- Top with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt
- Add half a pound of animal protein if desired but keep at least half of the protein source as lentils to keep the cost of this recipe low
Nutrition
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