Red Lentil Soup with Ginger, Lime and Coconut
A delicious and simple recipe that falls somewhere in between a curry, a laksa soup and a dahl!
A curry, a laksa and a Dahl???I know that combo might sound a bit weird but it works, trust me!
The concept of this soup has been floating around in my head for at least 5 years or so. I keep a journal where I jot down any inspiration for new recipes. It's full of random ideas scribbled down in haste such as pureed date with cauliflower....hasselback sweet potato....jackfruit as meatballs? For the idea behind this recipe, all I had written down was curried red lentil soup. There must have been a source for this inspiration, but I have long forgotten where from so my apologies!
After a bit of fun playing around in the kitchen I ended up with a recipe that is actually quite similar to my Thai style pumpkin soup. It's a super yummy soup and everyone always raves about it. However it involved a bit of prep and knife skills so I thought why not make a simpler version using lentils and pre-bought curry paste? And it was a winner! This soup is like a big comforting hug but with a nice refreshing kick from all their aromatic herbs. I'm seriously in love.
I can't get over how such a simple soup can pack so much flavour. I guess thats the bonus of buying a pre-made curry paste - all that hard work has been done for you! I am now now asking myself why I have spent so much of my time carefully hand making curry pastes.....I guess sometimes it's worth it right? But the new me want to make recipe that are simple and accessible so pre-bought it is!
If you can get your hands on fresh Makrut (Kaffir) lime leaves they really add an important fresh touch to the soup. I have a Makrut lime trees so have no shortage of lime leaves, but if you can't get access to them, thats okay. The curry paste should contain it. But if you can buy the fresh leaves, they add a delicious fresh aroma to the soup. Makrut lime is my all time favourite flavour so any excuse to add it to a recipe I do!
This soup is super easy, pretty quick and if I may say so, freakin delicious. Plus it's vegan and gluten free and packed full of healthy red lentils. My partner Che called it “Thai dahl” and ate it with rice. I am not sure how I feel about that....Even though he loved it, it just doesn't sound quite right!
Whatever you want to call it, I think this is going to be my new favourite recipe!
Red Lentil Soup with Ginger, Lime and Coconut
Makes: 4 serves
Dietary Guide: The recipe is gluten free and vegan. As this recipe uses curry paste (which is not FODMAP friendly) as well as lentils, onion and garlic it is not possible to make a FODMAP friendly version. I make a FODMAP friendly Dahl which you could make instead. Just add some extra water and stock to turn it into a soup. Recipe click here.
Ingredients
2 brown onions diced
1 ½ tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of minced ginger
1 ½ teaspoons of crushed garlic
1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of Penang (or Thai red) curry paste*
2 teaspoons of tomato paste
1 cup of red lentils washed (whole or spilt)
¾ cup of crushed tomatoes
1 cup of coconut cream
6 Makrut (kaffir) lime leaves
1 ½ Massel “chicken” stock cube
1 teaspoon of sugar
3-4 cups of water
½ cup of chopped fresh coriander to serve
Flat bread to serve (optional)
Optional extras for garnish: Fresh shaved coconut, chopped chilli, spring onion, finely sliced Makrut lime leaf, coconut cream/yoghurt, fresh lime,
*Many curry pastes contain fish sauce and dried shrimp paste, but there are a number or curry pastes available these days that are truly vegan. Make sure to choose a curry paste that is vegan if needed.
Method
Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a medium–large sized pot. Saute the onions for a few minutes and then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. Add the curry paste and cook for another 5-8 minutes. You will need to keep a close eye on it to make sure the mix doesn't to stick to the bottom – if it does, take the pot of the heat for a minute and then scrape the bottom with a spoon. Return to the heat.
Add the remaining ingredients; the tomato paste, lentils, coconut cream, Makrut lime, stock cube, sugar and 3 cups of water. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir frequently and add more water if it gets too thick.
Taste the soup and add more seasoning/sugar if needed. The soup is ready when the lentils are cooked through and soft. Stir through half the fresh coriander, reserving the rest for the top of the soup.
Serve with some yummy fresh flat bread, the remaining coriander and any of the other suggested garnish's.
