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    Home » Recipes » Soups » Curried Red Lentil Soup: a Soul-Warming Recipe

    LAST UPDATED: August 16, 2018 • FIRST PUBLISHED: January 23, 2018 By Toni Dash 7 Comments

    Curried Red Lentil Soup: a Soul-Warming Recipe

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    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Curried Red Lentil Soup with torn cilantro in a black bowl with striped napkin

    Celerate winter and soup season with easy, flavor-packed Curried Red Lentil Soup. Wholesome ingrediet and exotic spices make this taste like it simmered all day (but you’ll know it only took 30 minutes to make)!Curried Red Lentil Soup with torn cilantro in a black bowl with striped napkin

    Cold weather means soup in my kitchen. I’d happily eat it for every meal of the day. Our favorites are full of flavor and great texture. My latest ‘LOVE IT’ soup recipe is for Curried Red Lentil Soup. It’s easy to make, naturally gluten-free, bursting with curry flavors and protein.

    Lentils always seem to take back seat to beans or other legumes like split peas. Part of this may be confusion over which type of lentils to use. The most common types are green, brown and red lentils, each having different characteristics.

    Blue enamel pot of Curried Red Lentil Soup with chopped cilantro, kosher salt pot, pepper grinder

    Why Lentils Are Great

    Lentils are an affordable, readily available source of plant protein. You can find lentils at most grocery storeswith the dried beans. Unlike dried beans, they do not need to be soaked before cooking. Red and brown lentils cook in about 20 minutes making them great for fast recipes. Their small size blends well with other vegetables in recipes and their mild flavor makes them very adaptable in soups, stews, on salads and in ethnic recipes.

    Steamy black bowl of Curried Red Lentil Soup with antique spoon, pepper grinder and striped napkin

    The Difference between Types of Lentils

    There are several types of lentils, from the more common green and red to more exotic black lentils that look like caviar. There are some key differences between the most popular varieties that make each perfect for different types of recipes.

    RED: Red lentils are more orange but also can be true red. They are quick cooking and tend to become creamy when cooked making them great for soups and stews, as Indian dishes like Dal. They can be pureed for a thicker soup or left ‘as is’ to maintain texture in soups. Red lentils have a bit of a sweet flavor too that blends wonderfully with spicy flavors. You can see the softer texture in this Spicy Roasted Poblano Red Lentils with Sausage recipe.

    GREEN: Green lentils are the longest cooking type of lentil and have a bit of a peppery flavor. They stay intact when cooking as seen in this Mexican Chorizo Lentil Stew.

    BROWN: These are the lentils you’ve probably seen most often at the grocery store. They are quick cooking AND retain their shape when cooking. They have a mild flavor.

    All lentils cook faster than dried beans and do not need to be presoaked. I love the small disk shape. All lentils need to be sorted before cooking to remove any gravel (packaged lentils have been screened before packaging but still should be sifted through).

    French-blue enamel pot of Curried Red Lentil Soup with torn cilantro leaves

    How to Make Curried Red Lentil Soup – Step by Step:

    Curried Red Lentil soup is fragrant and very easy to make. Oil is heated in a heavy stock pot and the onion, garlic and ginger are sauteed until the onions soften. The spices are added, making almost a paste, and allowed to become fragrant with the heat.

    Quick Prep Tip: Use a mini chopper to prepare the onions and garlic and ginger paste from a tube. I use Gourmet Garden herb pastes in tubes which can be found refridgerated in the produce section of the grocery store. Each tube has a guide for substitution of the paste for fresh herbs. They are a great time saver as well as good quality herbs.

    Finally the lentils, chicken stock and tomatoes are added, along with bay leaves. The mixture is brought to a boil, covered and simmered for 25 minutes until the lentils are done. A splash of lime juice is thrown in before serving.

    The soup is bold with flavor though not spicy. If you like some heat, add a seeded, diced jalapeno to the first step!

    If you’ve tried this Curried Red Lentil Soup or any other recipe on BoulderLocavore.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m up to!

    Curried Red Lentil Soup with torn cilantro in a black bowl with striped napkin

    Curried Red Lentil Soup

    Curried Red Lentil Soup is easy and fast to prepare. The warming curry flavors warm up even the coldest of days.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Save Recipe Recipe Saved! Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 235kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons Canola Oil
    • 1 medium Onion chopped
    • 1 tablespoon diced Garlic
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons diced Gingerroot
    • 1 tablespoon Madras Curry Powder
    • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon ground Cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground Coriander
    • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
    • 2 cups Red Lentils sorted
    • 8 cups Low Sodium Chicken Stock
    • 1 14.5-ounce can Diced Tomatoes with juices
    • 2 Bay Leaves
    • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
    • Garnish: torn cilantro leaves

    Instructions

    • In a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil on medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and saute until onions become transluscent (3-4 minutes).
    • Add the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt; stir to fully combine.  Allow to become fragrant (1-2 minutes.
    • Stir in the lentils, chicken stock, and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil; add bay leaves, reduce heat to simmering, cover, and allow to cook for 25 minutes until the lentils are fully cooked.
    • Remove bay leaves.  Stir in the lime juice, adjust salt and pepper and serve.  NOTE: if desired, an immersion blender (or traditional blender) may be used to partially or fully puree the soup. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 220mg | Potassium: 663mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 4.2mg
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @boulderlocavore or tag #boulderlocavore!
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    ABOUT THE AUTHOR

    TONI DASH
    Toni Dash head shot

    Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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    Comments

    1. Pearl says

      April 13, 2022 at 11:33 am

      5 stars
      Excellent recipe. Simple and delicious! I appreciate the “cook mode” option so many other sites don’t offer it. You have great recipes and I have made many! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        April 13, 2022 at 4:55 pm

        I’m delighted!! Thank you for taking the time to leave your comment.

        Reply
    2. Allen Mosiman says

      February 06, 2018 at 11:01 am

      5 stars
      This is a wonderful recipe! Thanks for creating and sharing.

      Reply
    3. AnnMarie John says

      January 23, 2018 at 5:31 pm

      I love making soups during this season as well and I definitely enjoy flavors of curry. I appreciate you discussing the different types of lentils! I love the fact that you don’t have to soak them before the actual cooking process.

      Reply
    4. Melissa Chapman says

      January 23, 2018 at 12:18 pm

      5 stars
      That soup looks so great and it is so fast to make. I usually don’t cook with all those spices or red lentils but I have to try new things. We have been making your run of the mill brown lentil soup, so this would be an upgrade.

      Reply
    5. Stacie @ Divine Lifestyle says

      January 23, 2018 at 11:24 am

      5 stars
      I could go for some of that right now. We are just now starting to melt off down here in Georgia. GEORGIA! I want this in my life.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        January 23, 2018 at 11:55 am

        The weather this year is crazy! It’s easy and fast to make!

        Reply

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    About Toni Dash

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    Welcome! I’m Toni. I’m a Certified Nutrition Coach and my goal is to MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER with delicious, well-tested recipes and travel tips! More About Me …

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