Editor's Note: This post & recipe were written by our contributor Sarah Lullo. :)
Living in Chicago, I spend all winter thinking about ways to get warm and stay warm. The best solution I’ve found to this problem is trying out a new recipe. Not only does it give me something to productive to do on the days that I’m shut in the house but the heat of the stove helps too. During the winter months I’m always craving the two H’s: hearty and healthy.
Soup is a simple way to utilize any of the remainder of the vegetables that are nearing the end of their days as well as a providing a great base for lentils. When I first made this soup I ate it for lunch and dinner and even second dinner. I couldn’t keep myself away from it.
This recipe uses staple ingredients that any vegan is sure to have on hand.
Depending on your preference you can make it as mild or as spicy as you want. The great part of cooking is that it’s your own personal flavor adventure. In my opinion, the coconut milk is the shining star of this recipe because of its ability to cut through the heat of the spices and jalapeno also found in this recipe.
Give it a try and maybe do what I did; use this recipe as an introductory to curry for any of the non-curry eating friends in your life.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, minced
- 2 red peppers, chopped or 1 in slices
- 1 large carrot, 1 in slices
- 1 large broccoli head, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large jalapeno
- 1 tbsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp yellow curry powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 1 15 oz. can vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked red lentils, OR cooked yellow split peas
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- juice from 1 large lime
- 3 cups spinach
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, begin by sauteing the onions in the garlic and olive oil on medium heat until the onions become translucent.
- Add the red pepper, carrots, jalapeno, and broccoli and cook until they start to get soft. The vegetables will cook throughout so don't try to get them really soft in a hurry.
- Stir in the curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, and tomato paste to combine. Add in your coconut milk and broth and bring it to a simmer.
- Once simmering, add the lentils and bring the heat up to medium-high. Once the lentils and soup begin simmering together, cover and reduce to the lowest heat setting. After about 25 minutes, or until the lentils have cooked all the way, uncover and add spinach and lime juice. (If using a different legume that's already cooked, just add it in and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.)
- Stir together and add more salt, cayenne, curry, lime juice, garlic, etc for your taste preference. Enjoy!
