Basically’s Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup

“Never has such a flavorful, hearty, and warming meal come together so quickly or using so many pantry staples. “

— Claire Saffitz, Bon Appetit

An easy, cozy soup, that last throughout the week for leftover lunches, is everything that I look for in a soup. And this is it. I loved how easy this soup came together. The soup was warm in its flavor, creamy (thanks coconut milk), and a little bit of red pepper flakes adds a kick to bring up the flavor even more. Also pairs nicely with naan.

Let’s cook!

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For the most part I followed this recipe as written. Instead of frozen spinach I used raw kale that cooked into the soup pretty quickly. I also added an entire 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes that I cut up instead of a 15oz can of tomatoes. Why? Because I love tomato, this soup could handle more tomato in my opinion, and it was all I had in the pantry.

This soup was delicious. You can’t even tell it’s vegan because it is so yummy. I highly recommend making. It’s also a budget friendly recipe!

Happy souping!

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Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large onion
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 3-inch piece ginger
• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
• 5 teaspoons curry powder
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup split red lentils
• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
• 1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Plain whole-milk or non-dairy yogurt (for serving; optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel 1 onion and chop. Smash 6 garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife. Peel, then finely chop. Peel 3″ piece ginger with a small spoon, then finely chop.
2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large Dutch oven over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, just until translucent, 6–8 minutes.
3. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until garlic is starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes.
4. Add 5 tsp. curry powder and ½ tsp. cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until spices are aromatic and starting to stick to bottom of pot, about 1 minute.
5. Add 13.5 oz. coconut milk and stir to loosen spices, then stir in 1 cup lentils, ½ cup shredded coconut, 2 tsp. salt, and 5 cups water.
6. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to keep soup at a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are broken down and soup is thickened, 25–30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, remove 10 oz. thawed frozen spinach from packaging and squeeze between your hands over sink to remove excess water. Transfer to cutting board and coarsely chop.
8. Add spinach and 15 oz. tomatoes to pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt. Simmer just to let flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Taste and season again with more salt.
9. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with yogurt, if desired.

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Let me know how the recipe turned out for you in the comments below!