Quick Red Lentil Soup with Gremolata

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE soup. It doesn’t matter how hot it is outside, I could always eat a delicious bowl. Luckily, it’s finally cooling off so it’s more acceptable to keep making soup. This red lentil soup is SUPER quick, easy, and very tasty. It’s warm and fragrant and just SO good! In fact, it gets even better as leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 4 cups vegetable broth or water, I think the broth adds a great flavor to the lentils
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 heaping tablespoon minced ginger
• If you aren’t familiar with these warm spices, I’d start with 1/2-1 teaspoon each: turmeric, cumin, coriander, curry powder, salt, smoked paprika (regular paprika works too!) I ended up using about 1 1/2 teaspoons each.

Directions:

• Add about two tablespoons of the cooking oil of your choice to a pot.
• Over medium heat, add the onion and carrots and sauté them until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another 2 minutes.
• Add your spices in and let them cook until they become fragrant.  
• Add the lentils, tomatoes, and broth to the pot and bring to a simmer.
• Reduce heat to low and let it simmer for at least 20 minutes.
• Serve & Enjoy!

Notes:

• Once the lentils are soft, add the half a can of coconut milk and stir.
• The coconut milk isn’t overpowering, it just adds a nice subtle layer of flavor along with the broth.
• If you quickly chopped your onions and carrots like I did, you’ll have a somewhat chunky soup! You can always use an immersion blender or carefully add your soup to a blender if you want a smoother soup!
• You can add sour cream or plain Greek yogurt as a topping (leave off if you want to keep it vegan!) and I highly suggest trying the gremolata! Check out the recipe below:

Gremolata is a condiment consisting of chopped parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. It’s my new obsession! You can serve gremolata over anything for a burst of tasty freshness. It’s especially great over the winter with those heavy root vegetables in season!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of parsley, chopped finely. (You can even use cilantro or basil)
• The zest of one lemon. I used a microplane, but you can easily use a vegetable peeler!
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic

Directions:

• Mix all three ingredients in a bowl and there you have it!
• Add a spoonful to your bowl of red lentil soup and enjoy!

It’s time to get your soup on this fall! I hope your family enjoys this recipe just as much as my family does!

Find Out More with My Military Savings and Food & Drink!