Curry Lentil Soup

It was very windy this past weekend, wasn’t it? After a short spring-feeling week, the chill set back in and Mother Nature reminded us that winter isn’t over yet! Not wanting to face the cold, I raided our pantry and decided to make a lentil soup with a kicked up Indian flavor profile. Cayenne, cinnamon, cumin, chili, and curry powder are all tossed together with tomatoes and garlic. You leave everything to simmer on the stove and come back for a no-fuss gourmet style dish in less than an hour.

I love how lentils are packed with protein, fiber, and other delicious nutrients. They stick to your ribs but aren’t super heavy. Basically they’re a nifty little food in a disk! To give the recipe more body and nutritious-ness, I added some diced sweet potatoes…and if I had escarole handy that would have been tossed into the pot too. You can’t go wrong with this recipe, so add whatever veggies you like to this curried lentil soup!

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1 onion (medium, diced)

3 garlic cloves (minced)

3 celery stalks (sliced)

1 cup carrots (diced)

1 ½ cups lentils (green)

1 ½ cups sweet potatoes (diced)

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 oz)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons curry powder

½ teaspoon chili powder

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

4.5-6 cups water

2 cups vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan over medium/medium-low heat, add the oil and butter. Add in the diced onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Sautee for roughly 3-5 minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients into the pot with a large pinch of salt and pepper. I only had 2 cups of veggie broth left, so I also put in 4.5 cups of water. However, you can add up to 6 cups of water if you want your stew with more broth.

Raise heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. When it boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for 50 minutes. Add additional salt, if needed. Remove bay leaf.

Serve with toasted bread and enjoy!