Curry Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk

This curry lentil soup recipe with coconut milk and cashews is rich and creamy, plus it’s healthy and vegan. It’s so easy to make – and delicious!

This time five years ago, Pat and I were in Thailand, where coconut milk is added to everything. Since that trip, coconut milk has been a more consistent addition to our cooking, including in this curried soup. Even though the spices aren’t necessarily Thai, it still makes me think of all the amazing food we ate on the trip. It has a richness that makes it perfect for winter and it’s filling enough to make it for a main dish. It’s also gluten-free and vegan.

This soup is so good that Pat begged for a second batch before he’d even finished the first bowl! It’s a recipe we go to when we’re craving healthy comfort food. We usually make a double, or even triple batch, as it heats up well in the microwave for lunch meals at work. Just make sure you pack the coconut flakes, cilantro and cashews separately so they don’t get soggy!
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Curry Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk

Spiced Curry Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk & Cashews

Print Recipe

This curry lentil soup recipe with coconut milk and cashews is rich and creamy, plus it’s healthy and vegan. It’s so easy to make – and delicious!

• Author: Kelly Egan
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Thai

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cup lentils (preferably green), rinsed
• 5–6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 stalks lemongrass, outer layer removed, lower portion finely minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cup (1 can) coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons lemon, lime or orange juice
• A few handfuls of swiss chard, spinach or kale
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, toasted
• 1 cup cashews, toasted
• Handful of chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the lentils, broth, turmeric, thyme and curry in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
2. In a separate pan, heat the coconut oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté until just browned. Add the lemongrass, salt, and remaining spices and sauté another minute.*
3. Add the onion mixture, coconut milk and greens to the lentils. Simmer for another five minutes, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted.
4. Stir in the citrus juice and serve with toasted coconut flakes, cashews and cilantro on top.

Notes

*At this point I will sometimes sauté additional veggies, like chopped carrots and celery to sneak some additional vegetables into the soup. It tastes absolutely delicious and makes this already vegan and healthy soup into a nutritional powerhouse. It also tastes great with some sauteed mushrooms added at the end.

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Editor Note: This recipe and post were originally posted January 6th, 2014. This is an updated post with new photos. Want to see what my photos were like three years ago this time? Check out the end of the post!A lot has changed in the past three years, right?