Red Lentil Soup

With Sweet Potatoes and Curry

Have you ever been out to eat with friends and one person orders a dish that is phenomenally more delicious than anyone else’s? We were having lunch at the Woodland Restaurant in Lakeville CT a couple of weeks ago and my friend, Renee, ordered one of the daily specials, a Red Lentil Soup. The multi-colored soup with its lingering lightly curried aroma tempted us all into taking a bite. The Woodland’s version also had cubes of potatoes and red beets and was topped with some baby spinach. I knew I had to try and recreate a similar dish for us to enjoy at home.

My adaptation of the recipe is perfect for omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans and is dairy free and gluten free, making it a great choice to serve to a mixed crowd. The basis for the soup is the simple red lentil. Whereas green or brown lentils hold their shape while cooking, red lentils break down making for a thick, velvety soup. I use a combination of Thai red curry paste and mild curry powder to give the soup a warm, spicy kick. For a milder soup simply leave out the curries. To give it more substance, I add cubes of white sweet potatoes and some petite diced tomatoes. You could substitute butternut squash, yams, or Yukon Gold potatoes. The recipe is very adaptable and well-suited for Lent.

RED LENTIL SOUP with SWEET POTATOES and CURRY

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
2 cups red lentils
2 cups of ½-inch cubed sweet potatoes (about 2 medium)
1 15-ounce can of plain petite diced tomatoes
7 cups of vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can of coconut milk
½ cup chopped cilantro (or your choice of fresh greens: parsley, watercress, or arugula)

Carefully rinse and check your lentils to make sure that there are no small stones.

In a soup pot, lightly sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until the onion is soft and translucent.

Add the ginger, curry powder and paste and stir to combine. Add the lentils, sweet potato cubes, canned tomatoes and broth.

Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes, covered until the sweet potatoes are tender and the lentils are soft. Lightly crush the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher to give a more uniform texture while still leaving small chunks of potato.

Stir in the coconut milk and cilantro and heat until warm.