A hearty red lentil soup with coconut milk, canned crushed tomatoes and warm curry spices. A great soup to make and take, as it keeps well and reheats beautifully!
Lentil soup is a terrific everyday soup. It’s quick to make, keeps well, and reheats well to enjoy over several days. This red lentil soup features a creamy broth of canned crushed tomatoes, vegetable or chicken broth and coconut milk and is flavoured with warm curry spices. It isn’t too spicy, though, just pleasantly warming.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Red lentils – Red lentils are recommended as they are quick-cooking, mild and nutty in flavour and break down into a creamy texture as they cook. Green lentils have a different flavour profile and take much longer to cook. They will also not break down as well as they cook.
Canned crushed tomatoes – Canned crushed tomatoes will produce the nicest texture in this soup. Canned diced tomatoes that have been drained and lightly processed would make a good substitute.
Coconut milk – You can use full-fat coconut milk or reduced-fat coconut milk. The full-fat coconut milk will produce a thicker soup.
Ginger Garlic Paste – Ginger garlic paste is quite easy to find these days and is a great addition to your kitchen as a base for many curry-style dishes. If you don’t have ginger garlic paste, simply substitute it with ginger (either ginger paste or grated fresh ginger) and minced garlic.
How to make tomato coconut curry lentil soup: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by sautéing the onion, then add the ginger and garlic (or ginger-garlic paste).
Step 2: Add the spices and cook briefly.
Step 3: Add the canned, crushed tomatoes to the pot.
Step 4: Add the vegetable or chicken broth.
Step 5: Add the red lentils to the soup.
Step 6: Add the chopped cilantro to the soup.
Step 7: Add the can of coconut milk to the soup.
Step 8: Simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes to cook the lentils.
Step 9: I like to blitz the soup lightly with an immersion blender, but that’s optional. Finish the soup with a squeeze of fresh lime and more cilantro.
How to make tomato coconut curry lentil soup: video
Recipe tips!
- You can adjust the spicing to your taste. As written, it is just a pleasant level of spice. Present but not overpowering.
- Be sure not to overcook the lentils, or they may become mushy.
- I like to blitz the soup lightly with an immersion blender at the end of cooking. It’s not necessary, though, if you don’t have an immersion blender.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
This is a great soup to make ahead, and it holds well in the fridge with very little thickening. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or broth to loosen it if necessary.
You could freeze this soup, though it may result in a slight change in texture from the freeze/thaw process.
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Get the Recipe: Tomato Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, diced
- 2 Tablespoons ginger garlic paste, or 2 teaspoons ginger paste and 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes, (398ml can or 1/2 of the usual 28oz can)
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 2 – 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk, (400ml) full-fat or reduced-fat
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- handful fresh cilantro, chopped, plus a bit more for garnish
- juice of 1/2 lime
For serving:
- lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large soup pot on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the 1/2 medium onion (diced) and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the 2 Tablespoons ginger garlic paste (or 2 teaspoons ginger paste and 2 cloves garlic, minced) and stir/cook briefly. Add the 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and pinch crushed red pepper flakes and stir/cook briefly. Add the 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes ((398ml can or 1/2 of the usual 28oz can)) and stir well to combine.
- Stir 3/4 cup red lentils into the soup, together with 2 cups of the 2 – 2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth. Add the 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped) and 13.5 oz canned coconut milk ((400ml) full-fat or reduced-fat) and stir together to combine.
- Bring the soup to a boil, stirring regularly, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils are soft but not mushy, about 20 minutes. If desired, use an immersion blender and blitz the soup 2 or 3 times to thicken the soup. If the soup becomes too thick, add additional broth as needed to thin.
- Taste the soup and add salt and freshly ground pepper, as needed. The soup will generally need 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of salt, depending on the saltiness of the tomatoes and broth. If the soup tastes flat, it needs more salt!
- Finish the soup with a handful fresh cilantro (chopped, plus a bit more for garnish) and juice of 1/2 lime.
- Serve with additional fresh cilantro and lime wedges (for serving) for drizzling.
Notes
Watch how to make it
More curry soup recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
