+SF +GF
This is an ideal dish for a gloomy night in, as it combines two fantastic meals: curry and lentil soup. Make sure to use red lentils, as this is a crucial component to the dish. Black lentils are too stiff and won’t break down the way red lentils do, which adds to the creaminess of this soup. —MR
SERVES 4
2 tbsp (28 g) coconut oil or (30 ml) olive oil
1 small red onion, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into thin circles
Salt, to taste
1 (13½-oz [400-ml]) can full-fat coconut milk
2½–3 cups (590–710 ml) water
1½ tbsp (10 g) curry powder
1 thumb of ginger, grated, or 1 tsp ground ginger
Juice of ½ lemon
1 sweet potato, quartered and cubed
2 cups (400 g) red lentils, uncooked
Sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds
Start by melting the coconut oil over medium heat in a large cooking pot. Toss in the red onion, celery and carrots. Sprinkle in a few pinches of salt and let this sauté for 10 minutes. Once the vegetables have sautéed and look translucent, add the coconut milk, water, curry powder, ginger, salt, lemon juice, sweet potato cubes and lentils, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover for 25 minutes. Stir often so that the lentils don’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.
The soup will be ready when the lentils are soft to the bite and have absorbed much but not all of the liquid. Once it’s ready, pour it into serving bowls and top with the pumpkin seeds. To reheat for later, simply add a small amount of liquid to the soup (about ¼ cup [60 ml] of water to 1 cup [235 ml] of soup).