Turmeric red lentil soup
The soup we make when the week has already gone wrong.
Words — WT Editorial Team
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Easy
Red lentils collapse into their own sauce, which makes them the fastest route to a soup with body.
Turmeric is here for colour and warmth. We are not going to tell you it fixes inflammation.
Ingredients
- 250g red lentils, rinsed
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 200ml coconut milk
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Coriander and chilli flakes, to finish
Method
- 1
Soften the onion and carrot in oil over a low heat for 10 minutes without colouring them.
- 2
Add the garlic and spices and stir for a minute until fragrant.
- 3
Tip in the lentils and stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the lentils have broken down.
- 4
Blend smooth, or leave it rough. Stir through most of the coconut milk and all of the lemon.
- 5
Serve with the last of the coconut milk swirled over, coriander and chilli.
Notes from the kitchen
- The lemon at the end is not optional — without acid the soup tastes flat.
- Freezes in portions for up to three months.
Why we cook it
Lentils deliver protein and fibre at a price nothing else matches, and the recipe scales to a week of lunches without becoming tedious.
The Sunday Edit
Five things worth knowing for a healthier week.
