Coconut-Red Lentil Soup

From Sharon Bautista and Dimitra Tasiouras/Fork and the Road

Serves 6

[Ed: This deceptively simple soup packs a complicated bunch of alluring flavors into each spoonful: nutty lentils, sweet raisins and coconut milk, peppery ginger, hot cayenne. Adapted from a Heidi Swanson recipe, it’s honestly a soup for everyone. I mean, come on – it’s even vegan.]

Ingredients

1 cup yellow split peas

1 cup red split lentils (masoor dal)

7 cups water

1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2

tablespoons curry powder

2 tablespoons coconut oil

8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup tomato paste

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt

1/2 teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper

one small handful cilantro, chopped

Preparation

Rinse split peas and lentils. Place in soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the carrot and 1/2 tablespoon of the ginger. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.

In the meantime, in a small dry skillet or saucepan over low heat, toast the curry powder until fragrant. Set aside. Place the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions, the remaining ginger, and raisins. Saute for two minutes stirring constantly, then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute.

Add the toasted curry powder and cayenne to the tomato paste mixture, mix well, and then add this to the simmering soup along with the coconut milk and salt. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes.

Serve with cilantro and remaining green onions.

Posted: Tuesday Apr 6,2010 03:23 PM In Soup Recipes