The Test Kitchen: Coconut Lentil Soup Recipe

Lentils have two advantages for the home cook.  First, they are super inexpensive for a recipe ingredient that is both filling (the fiber) and power packed with nutrients (add rice to the mix, and you have a complete protein for a fraction of the cost of meat).  Second, they cook up really fast. These two factors mean that lentils frequently make an appearance in dishes that are both quick and easy.  (College students and families on limited incomes, take note!)  Of course, that's not always the case.  Some lentil dishes require horrific amounts of chopping.  Some require you to cook the lentils separately along with three other pots of this or that, all to be poured over a fifth thing at some point.  And then there are the lentil dishes that call for expensive and obscure ingredients.

Heidi Swanson's recipe for Coconut Red Lentil Soup is both quick and relatively inexpensive.  It is packed with flavor, but it is not so hot that your average family member will balk.  I made a few adjustments to the recipe for our family to use, but you can certainly follow the link to the original recipe.  One change I made was to use regular brown lentils rather than the red ones called for.  The red ones are pretty (as in the photo above), but they are also harder to obtain in small college towns out in the middle of nowhere--as well as being slightly more expensive.  And frankly, there will be very little change in the flavor of the dish.  Second, I left out the raisins.  Most of my family members hate raisins with the heat of a thousand suns.  I kid you not.  My husband refers to them by a rude term that is NOT appropriate at the dinner table.  And third, rather than using the Madras Curry Powder that Heidi suggested, I used a Garam Masala curry blend. 


Several spice companies make a Garam Masala curry blend.  There are as many recipes for Garam Masala as there are for apple pie.  All of them claim to be authentic--so just pick the one that you like the best.  We can pick up the McCormick blend at our local grocery store as well as purchase several other kinds at Amazon.com or a host of other spice outlets.  If you want to use spices that you have at home, you can try my recipe.  This is just my favorite blend.

Garam Masala
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp ground coriander
2 Tbsp ground cardamom
1 3/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 pulverized bay leaf

If you are using whole spices, run them through a spice/coffee grinder before mixing.  If you are using ground spices, be sure to crush the bay leaf thoroughly (or cut into very tiny pieces with kitchen shears) before using.

As far as the soup goes, my modified recipe got six thumbs up and one neutral thumb.  (The picky eater said that it wasn't his favorite, but he would eat it again if it appeared on the table.)  The leftovers, apparently, also made a terrific breakfast for a friend of mine who is a fellow struggling writer.  I consider that a win!  

Coconut Lentil Soup Recipe  -- Serves 4 (or 6, if over rice)

1 cup yellow split peas
1 cup brown split lentils (red or green also work fine)
7 cups water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2" dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and grated ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Garam Masala)
2 tablespoons butter
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (you can find this in the Asian food section)
2 teaspoons salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped (for garnish, optional)
cooked brown rice for serving (optional)

Sort through the lentils and the split peas to look for any small pebbles or debris.  (I average about one find per 5 bags of legumes that I sort though).   Pour into a colander and rinse thoroughly--until the water is clear.   Pour lentils and peas into an extra large soup pot and add enough water to cover by several inches.  (You may have to add more as you go.)  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and add the carrot and 1/4 of the grated ginger.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, or until peas are soft.

Meanwhile, toast the curry powder in a small skillet on low heat--about 5-10 minutes.  The powder should become fragrant, but not burnt.  Remove the spices to a small bowl or saucer and add the butter, the remaining ginger, and half of the scallions to the skillet.  Saute on medium heat until the scallions are soft; stir in the tomato paste and spices.  Saute for a couple more minutes.

When the peas are soft, add the tomato paste mixture to the soup pot along with the coconut milk and salt.  Simmer, uncovered, for another 10-20 minutes, adding more water, if desired to thin it out.  (I preferred my soup thicker, so I let some of the liquid boil off.)  Serve soup over brown rice (or other cooked grain--a good use for leftovers) and top with remaining scallions and cilantro if desired.