Creamy Red Lentil & Carrot Soup (dairy-free)

I guess it is soup season, which means it is recipe season, because it is now cool enough for such things. For much of this past year I have been working on developing and testing recipes for a new cookbook. That book is now in the hands of my publisher  – and is available for pre-order – so I am happy to now be able to share more recipes with you in this space.

What better way to start than a simple, nourishing soup.

I am not a recipe-following cook. This is a double-edged sword, I have found. On the one hand, it means I don’t need specific ingredients to create meals (saving us money) and it is a boon to recipe development because I am always playing around with new concepts and ingredients.

On the other hand, as my family has aptly pointed out, rarely do we eat the same thing twice – even the yummiest meals. I’ve tried to change that pattern in recent years, jotting down ingredients when a dish begins to show signs of “hey, this might be good“. But sometimes in the rush of the dinner hour that just doesn’t happen.

So when we sat down at the end of a long day of construction to warm bowls of this soup and everyone liked it, I was thankful to be able to say that the recipe was written down.

And, like so many of the recipes in my forthcoming cookbook, it is gluten and dairy-free and made from simple, nourishing, frugal ingredients we tend to always have on hand.

Creamy Red Lentil-Carrot Soup (dairy-free)

This recipe makes a very large pot that serves 10-12. The recipe can easily be cut in half.

Ingredients

• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons fresh chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 3/4 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
• 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 quarts chicken broth
• 2.5 cups red lentils, soaked or sprouted and drained and rinsed
• 8 large carrots, cut into 1″ pieces
• 2 cans coconut milk
• salt to taste
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• cilantro for serving

Directions

In a large soup pot over medium heat, add the onions and olive oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until they are beginning to soften. Add the garlic, ginger, and spices and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or just until fragrant.

Add the broth, lentils, and carrots and stir everything together. Turn the heat up to high and cover the pot. Once the broth begins to boil, turn it down to a low simmer and let cook for 30-40 minutes or until the carrots are tender and the lentils are cooked.

Remove from the heat and blend using an immersion or counter top blender. Stir in the coconut milk, salt, and apple cider vinegar and taste. Adjust the salt as needed and serve with cilantro and fresh bread.