Easy Carrot and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 4 cups chopped carrots
- 2 15- ounce cans diced tomatoes
- 1 cup dry red lentils rinsed
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable for vegetarian and vegan
To Add at the End
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Optional Serving Suggestions
- fresh cilantro, Greek yogurt, warm naan or pita bread
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, chili flakes, and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the carrots, tomatoes, lentils, salt, and broth, stirring until well combined.
- Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 30-35 minutes, or until the carrots are soft and the lentils begin to soften and break apart, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, vinegar, and maple syrup, stirring to combine. Using an immersion blender, blend until just barely smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, carefully ladle the soup into a blender. Blend until just barely smooth, then return to the pot.
- Taste and add additional salt or vinegar if desired. Serve with whatever toppings you enjoy.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic, cumin, chili flakes, and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and add a splash of water to loosen the browned bits. Note: If you prefer to make this a dump-and-go slow cooker recipe or a freezer meal, you can skip this step and add the spices directly to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients in step two.
- Add the cooked spices along with the carrots, tomatoes, lentils, salt, and broth to a 6-quart slow cooker, stirring until well combined.
- Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours, or until the or until the carrots are soft and the lentils begin to soften and break apart, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, vinegar, and maple syrup, stirring to combine. Using an immersion blender, blend until just barely smooth. Alternatively, working in batches, carefully ladle the soup into a blender. Blend until just barely smooth, then return to the pot.
- Taste and add additional salt or vinegar if desired. Serve with whatever toppings you enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition information calculated using vegetable broth, full fat coconut milk, and apple cider vinegar, and without the optional serving suggestions listed above.
To keep this recipe vegan and vegetarian, be sure to use vegetable broth.
For more information, see the full blog post above.
Nutrition
Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 844mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 14395IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 92mg | Iron: 5mg
