This curried lentil soup recipe from chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi is “way more delicious than it should be,” declared one former colleague, for whom it was a go-to dinner. Her reaction was partly due to the soup’s ease (it’s made almost entirely from pantry ingredients). But it’s also nourishing, hearty, and gluten-free, and it requires extremely little prep time.
The magic happens courtesy of red lentils, which break down, turning the broth creamy. You could use yellow lentils, but brown lentils and green lentils retain more texture, so save them for another purpose.
Ottolenghi calls for Japanese S&B curry powder, which can be considered mild to medium in heat, but you can use any blend you like based on your tolerance. You can adjust the other ingredients too: Stir in a peeled and diced sweet potato or half a butternut squash right at the beginning, or add the last handful of some slightly wilted baby spinach just before serving. The chef also calls for water to round out the broth—with so many flavorful ingredients, this really will suffice, but if you have a bit of vegetable broth (or even chicken broth) open, feel free to use it.
A final drizzle of coconut milk adds a lush finish, while lime juice and fresh cilantro brighten everything up. Serve with warm charred naan for dunking.
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Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
2
1
2
1
1
¼
¾
1
½
1
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Warm 2 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. Cook 1 medium onion, finely chopped, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Add 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, one 2½" piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated, 1 Tbsp. curry powder, and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lentils and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add one 14.5-oz. can crushed tomatoes, ½ cup finely chopped cilantro, a generous pinch of kosher salt, and 2½ cups water; season with freshly ground black pepper. Set aside ¼ cup liquid from one 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk for serving; add remaining coconut milk to saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft but not mushy, 20–25 minutes. Season soup with more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 2
To serve, ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with reserved coconut milk and garnish with more cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.
Do Ahead: Soup (without toppings) can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; store in an airtight container and chill. Reheat over medium heat until simmering.
Editor’s note: This curried lentil soup recipe was first published in our December 2017 issue. Head this way for more of our best recipes for lentils →