Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup - Seriously Soupy

Lentil soup is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes. Despite the thousands of soups I want to create (and hopefully will) sometimes only this classic and comforting bowl of soup will do. After a frigid day at the zoo with my family, I decided to make lentil soup but wanted to vary the recipe a bit. I decided to add coconut milk and some curry for a slight nutty taste. I also added some mint, lime, and ginger to balance out the flavors. Since Mr. Soupy aka My Income Lab is my official taste-tester, he gave me some critic to the recipe. He didn't think the mint was needed since it overpowered the other flavors - so keep that in mind if you choose to use that herb. Overall, this is a very easy soup recipe (for a bean-based soup can) that can be whipped up in less than two hours. Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
Serves 4
4-6 cups of water
2 cups of dry lentils
1 yellow onion, cut up 
1 teaspoon of ginger, minced and shredded
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 zucchini, cut up
1 rib of celery, cut up
2-3 carrots, cut up 
3-5 bay leaves
Bunch of fresh mint
1/2 lime, cut up
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1 cup of coconut milk


Directions:
Add water to a pot and let boil on a medium heat. As the water starts to boil, cut up the ginger, onions, and garlic and place them into the pot, along with the bay leaves. mint and rosemary. Cover and lower flame. Let cook for 10 minutes. Add the lentils and let cook for about an hour. Cut up the celery, carrots, zucchini, and add them to the pot, along with the curry powder, salt, pepper, lime and coconut milk. Cover and let cook for another 10-15 minutes. Taste and drizzle with some lime - you may need to add more salt and pepper. 


What is your favorite recipe for lentil soup?


Seriously Soupy Serena

Red Lentil and Kale Soup with a Poached Egg

Red Lentil and Kale Soup with a Poached Egg - Seriously Soupy

I recently tried a version of this soup at The Farm on Adderley, a farm-to-table restaurant in my neighborhood. I love lentil soup and was really excited to try their version that also included braised kale, parmesan cheese and a poached egg. Instead of using regular lentils, I added red lentils along with some onions, garlic, rosemary, pepper, kale and the egg - which made a creamy and rich soup that wasn't quite the same as the Farm's but was still a delicious take on their recipe. Making this soup also allowed me to poach an egg, a basic cooking technique that I never tried before. I followed the step-by-step instructions on Serious Eats and like many of the soup recipes that I have tried on this site, I realized how easy it was. With our without an egg, this soup is an easy variation on the classic soup recipe thanks to the hearty kale and the creamy parmesan.

Red Lentil and Kale Soup with a Poached Egg

Ingredients:

6 cups of water
2 cups of dry red lentils
Bunch of kale, about 3-4 leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
Bunch of fresh rosemary
5 dried bay leaves
sea salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon of dried thyme
1 egg, poached


Directions:
Add water to a pot and start boiling. Cut up the onions and garlic and add them to the pot, along with the lentils. Add the parmesan, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and let cook for 20-30 minutes, checking on the soup periodically and adding water (if needed). Add the kale and let cook for another 10 minutes. Taste and turn off the flame. Set aside while the egg is poached. Read this article on how to poach an egg. Top the soup with some parmesan cheese and the egg. Enjoy!

How do you make your lentil soup?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Lentil, Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup

Lentil, Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup

Since I started this little blog,  I wanted to learn more about soups and expand from my soupy routine (butternut squash, lentil, and white bean were my soupy norm). Since October of 2009, I have made a matzoh ball soup, a sweet potato/cranberry soup, and even a hummus soup (hooray for soupy); but despite the various new soups that I never thought I would create there are always the classics that I miss having on a regular basis. Low and behold, a rainy, dreary day hit NYC and all I wanted was a classic lentil soup. I added in some curry, sweet potatoes and peanut butter (yep, I said pb!) to change up some of the flavors (only slightly). The classic staples (bay leaves, carrots, onions, garlic, and of course lentil) was also used to create this old favorite. Sometimes an oldy, but a goodie is just enough. Enjoy!

Lentil, Sweet Potato and Spinach Soup
Ingredients:
6 cups of water
2 cups of dry lentils
1 teaspoon of chopped garlic
1 whole sweet potato, chopped up
1 yellow onion, chopped up
bunch of carrots, cut up
1 tablespoon of smooth organic peanut butter (optional)
5-8 whole bay leaves
bunch of spinach
pinch of cumin
pinch of curry
pinch of pepper
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
Let the dry beans soak for a 2-3 hours before you start the soup. When ready to cook, pour the water in a pot, let boil and add the onions and garlic. Add the lentils, peanut butter, and bay leaves when the water comes to a steady boil. Cover the pot and cut up the potatoes and carrots. Let the lentils cook for an hour or so, checking on it periodically (adding water is common). Then add the potatoes and carrots, along with various seasonings (curry, salt, pepper and cumin) and cover. Make sure to taste as go and let cook for about another 45 minutes to an hour. Turn off the flame and place a bunch of fresh spinach on the bottom of a bowl, pour in the soup and enjoy!

How have you made lentil soup?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Beans in the Cupboard Soup

 Carrot Lentil/Split Pea Soup aka Beans in the Cupboard Soup - Seriously Soupy

Frigid temperatures, snow shoveling, and lunchtime were pretty-much the inspiration for this little soupy. I hadn't planned to create a new recipe, but as I mentioned those aforementioned situations occurred, and really all that I could think of to cure these ails was with a soup. Assessing the inventory in my cupboard, I located some lentils and yellow split peas used in previous soups that were just waiting to be used again, and a pound of carrots in my fridge that I decided would be the base. I then decided to add onions, parsnips, garlic and various seasonings and instantly a soup was created without having to spend any additional money or even having to think that much about what I was creating.Who knows-- you may have these ingredients in your cupboard and be on your way to a delicious and savory soup in no time.

Carrot Lentil/Split Pea Soup
Ingredients:
4-5 cups of water, may need more as soup cooks
1/2 bag of dry lentils
1/2 bag of yellow split peas
1 yellow onion, chopped up into squares
1/2 clove of garlic, finely chopped up 
1 chive, chopped up into squares
1 bag of baby carrots
2 parsnips
small bunch of fresh parsley
small bunch of fresh dill
1 teaspoon of curry, adjust based on your preference
1 teaspoon of ginger, adjust based on your preference
pinch of sea salt
pinch pepper

Directions:
If you have time, placed dry beans in a small bowl in water for two-three hours before prep of the soup. When ready to cook, add water to a pot. When slightly boiled, add the onions, chives,parsley, dill, and garlic. Start boiling another pot (medium-sized) of water for the carrots and one parsnip. In the large pot, add the beans and the other parsnip and cover. After 20 minutes the carrot/parsnip mixture should be done. Drain the water and mash the mixture (I used a fork and then a hand blender). Add this to the bean pot, along with the seasonings (curry, ginger, salt, and pepper) and let cook for another 45-minutes or so, adding additional seasonings or water if you think the soup needs it. Turn off the flame and enjoy!

What have you found in your cupboard that you turned into a soup?

Seriously Soupy Serena

Talking about Winter Soups

It's officially winter (again!) and although I'm not the biggest fan of the cold I'm pretty excited about the season for the soups. Generally, winter soups are considered those that are "richer" or have a more "hearty" texture because they contain more solid ingredients as opposed to broth-based soups (chicken noodle is an exception).

Here is a rundown of some winter soups:

1. Butternut Squash Soup-Also popular during the season are pumpkin, sweet potato, and potato based soups. A rich texture that is sure to fill you up and comfort your chilly bones. (Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup)
2. Minestrone Soup (an upcoming soupy as well)-A delicious medley where you can add veggie you want to add, along with beans and pasta. A meal in a bowl, indeed.
3. Bean-Based Soups-I personally love a good lentil soup, but there are tons of bean soups that are a staple of winter. Some alternatives include  white bean, black black, split pea, etc. (Black Bean Soup)
4. Chicken Noodle Soup- A classic and not just for sick days.
5. Stew-beef, chicken, fish, veggie-A filing soup that uses a blend of ingredients (carrots, onions, potatoes, etc) that are cooked slowly and at a low temp as all the flavors fuse together. A comforting winter staple soup!

Do tell- What are your favorite winter soupys?

Seriously Soupy Serena