Red Lentil Carrot Soup

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January 26, 2015

I kind of have a thing for lentils. They're super rich in fiber, protein, and iron aka perfect for anyone following a plant-based diet or just want to stay healthy. Often times lentils or legumes have a bad reputation. Mainly in part because people can get really gassy from them...happens to the best of us :D I think the people that are affected by them in that way just don't have a fiber-rich diet, to begin with. For most people following a vegan diet though, you are used to eating a lot of fiber, thanks to all the fruits, veggies, and enormous amounts of hummus you eat a day! So having lentils should only affect you in a positive way!

Check out those little red pellets of health. So good! Oh, excuse my super wrinkly
hands. I went hand washing OCD while making this soup so afterwards my hands looked...well...OLD!

Enough talk about gas, fiber, and old hands though. Let's get to what we are really here for. I was sick of boring red lentil soups. So I decided to make a red lentil carrot soup with a spicy red curry kick.

It has some Thai inspiration, though I'm 99% sure this is not an authentic Thai soup :) That's OK though, we can pretend we're in Thailand on the beach sipping this hot red lentil soup...yeah, I don't want soup on a beach. I'll take anything fruity with a lot of alcohol instead!

OK. WAKE UP! We're not in Thailand...we're not on a beach.

Let's be real. It's freezing outside, so this warming red lentil carrot soup will have to do.

This soup has some of my favorite flavors in it. Fresh ginger, lime juice, and garlic, and top it off with coconut milk. Yum! Because I used red curry paste in this red lentil soup, lets us not have to use any broth. Red curry paste is pretty salty, to begin with and can get a bit spicy so goes easy with it if you can't handle the heat :D Thankfully there are low-sodium red curry pastes out there so that we won't all be bloated the next day.

Surprisingly, this red lentil carrot soup is also pretty easy to make. Maybe not be as easy as making your own coconut butter but as far as soups go..it's pretty simple. I left this soup nice and chunky which kept me full nearly the whole day or it might have been because I ate 3 bowls of this within 20 minutes. If you're more into creamy soups though, then you can easily use an immersion blender to puree all the ingredients once they are cooked.

Also, don't forget the toppings! No soup is complete without toppings or garnishes or whatever you want to call it. I topped mine with a bit of coconut cream, red pepper flakes, and chopped basil. Be creative though. Add whatever your heart desires...even if it's chocolate chips. OK, that's a little bit weird...but hey, there are some weird people out there, right?

Alright, forget the chocolate...just DIG IN!

5 from 3 votes

CourseGluten free, Soup, Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Makes 8 cups

Calories 193 kcal

Author Vanessa @VeganFamilyRecipes.com

Ingredients

2tablespoonOilOlive, Sesame, Canola, etc.
1White Onionfinely diced
1teaspoonGingerfresh, grated
2clovesGarlicminced
4tablespoonRed Curry Pastepreferably low sodium
1 ½cupsCarrotsroughly 1 large carrot or 2 smaller, grated
1Red Bell Pepperdiced
2 toTomatoesdiced
1cupRed Lentilsuncooked, rinsed with cold water
4cupsWater
1tablespoonLime Juice
¾cupsCoconut Milk

Instructions

Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot.
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Add onion and ginger and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and red curry paste and cook 2-3 minutes until garlic becomes fragrant.
Stir in grated carrot, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Cover and cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add lentils and water to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until lentils become tender.
Stir in coconut milk and lime juice. Bring to a quick boil and serve.
Garnish with chopped basil, vegan yogurt, whipped coconut cream, and/or red pepper flakes.

Feel a little lost with these ingredients? Let me help :D

Red Curry Paste - low-sodium, vegan & gluten-free! -> Note that not all curry pastes are vegan. In fact, most aren't. Most of them contain fish sauce or shrimp paste so make sure to always red the label!

Bob's Red Mill Red Lentils

Native Forest Coconut Milk

You can also check out my vegan soup cookbook!

More Vegan Soup Recipes

Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Creamy Almond Soup

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Gingi says
January 26, 2015 at 11:43 pm
I have recently been trying my hand at soups and stews.. but I lack a really good blender to make the gorgeous consistency you have in your dish! Ugh.. more to add to my gi-normous bucket list, hehe! ^_^ - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Reply
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
January 27, 2015 at 2:11 am
Yuummmm! I love red lentil soups. I love how naturally creamy they are.
A good spicy soup is such good cold weather medicine.
Reply
Terje says
January 27, 2015 at 9:42 am
Whaaaat, you've got to be kidding me! I was trying to come up with a lentil soup just yesterday, after realising over the weekend that I had stockpiled quite a lot of different lentils in my cupboard. And since I had some red thai curry paste left over, I wanted to use that in the soup... of course with onion and garlic and red bell pepper and carrots and lemon juice... Even wrote the ingredients down for myself already and did the grocery shopping! And then this morning I pop on your site and see this post XD
I may have to remake mine to a more Mediterranean-flavour soup now, can't post basically the same recipe in my blog :D The only ingredient I hadn't thought of using was ginger. Well, I may have to make your soup this time and keep my (soon to be changed) recipe for later.
...I really can't stop laughing over this coincidence! Mind is blown.
Reply
- Vanessa says
  January 27, 2015 at 10:48 am
  Oh that's too funny. You won't believe how often that has happened to me. I've had posts all ready to go and then I check out someones blog and they just happen to have the exact same thing up. Not fun! At least you haven't gone through the work yet of making it, taking pictures, etc. A mediterranean lentil soup sounds delicious too though. I'll be sure to check that out :D
  Reply
  - Terje says
    January 27, 2015 at 11:17 am
    Haha yes, I'm glad I hadn't done that yet! Would have been devastating to be one click away from publishing the post and then discover the same recipe recently uploaded here. I'll let you know once the recipe is done and uploaded! :)
    Reply
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
See Also
I Tried the Ketogenic Diet (& a found a favorite Keto recipe) - Hither & Thither
January 27, 2015 at 7:23 pm
We are making a lot of lentil sounds at the moment. So cheap and so healthy too!
Reply
- Vanessa says
  January 28, 2015 at 3:03 pm
  A lot of lentil sounds? haha or did you mean soups? I think both work :)
  Reply
Maria G. says
January 28, 2015 at 2:11 am
I like red lentil soups and stews – what a great idea to combine it with carrots!
Reply
Cailee says
January 29, 2015 at 6:05 pm
YUM!! This looks amazing! I love lentil soup!! ...and I just got some red lentils!! :) Great recipe!! So healthy and nourishing! :) Love it!
Reply
Manali @ CookWithManali says
January 30, 2015 at 5:08 pm
I drink lentil soup practically everyday..we call it "dal" in India and it's eaten everyday with roti [whole wheat flatbread] :) This looks delicious..I once had a Thai carrot soup at Whole Foods and loved it! Pinning this.
Reply
- Vanessa says
  February 01, 2015 at 8:08 pm
  Oh Manali! Stop talking about dal and roti! Those are two of my favorite foods and no matter how hard I try...I'm no good at making authentic incredible tasting Indian food :( Thanks for pinning!
  Reply
Linda @ Veganosity says
January 30, 2015 at 5:57 pm
I've been eating a lot more carrots lately, for the beta-carotene, so this soup is calling my name! Gorgeous pictures, and your hands don't look old! :)
Reply
Candy Napier says
February 14, 2015 at 1:34 pm
Confused about the fat content? 52?
Reply
- Vanessa says
  February 14, 2015 at 7:22 pm
  Oh wow! Thank you for pointing that out. Now sure what happened there. Recalculated it!
  Reply
Doug says
February 19, 2015 at 9:10 pm
Thanks for the recipe - I've never tried whipped coconut cream as a topping! Sounds delicious.
Reply
Teri says
February 22, 2015 at 9:45 pm
I love this recipe! How long does it last in the fridge? I like to make a big batch on Sunday for a quick meal throughout the week! Thanks in advance!
Reply
- Vanessa says
  February 22, 2015 at 10:26 pm
  Hi Teri, I always make this in a huge batch as well. I've kept in the fridge for up to 5 days without it going bad. Hope you like it :) I would just try to only reheat the amount that you will actually be eating at a time. I don"t suggest cooling, heating, cooling, heating it over and over again.
  Reply
Barbara V says
May 01, 2016 at 5:06 pm
Made this for a healthy lunch and it is so quick and delicious! We can't wait to eat leftovers this week.
Reply
- Vanessa Croessmann says
  May 09, 2016 at 9:45 am
  Thanks, Barbara! I'm so happy you liked this red lentil carrot soup!
  Reply
Kia says
November 30, 2016 at 5:28 am
Made a double-batch this week and it is delicious! I added a block of tofu and a chopped sweet potato as well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Reply
- Vanessa Croessmann says
  December 02, 2016 at 2:57 pm
  Thanks Kia! I'm so happy you liked the Red Lentil Carrot Soup. It's one of my favorite soups to make this time of year ;)
  Reply
Scott Williams says
April 17, 2017 at 6:26 am
This carrot soup is very delicious and my kids loved it when she was recovering from the flu. We still make it on occasion when she requests it because she loves the taste. Thanks for this recommendation :)
Reply
- Vanessa Croessmann says
  April 17, 2017 at 5:07 pm
  Thanks Scott! I'm so glad your kids like it as well ;) It's one of our favorite soups ;)
  Reply

Red Lentil Carrot Soup - Vegan Family Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Do you need to soak red lentils before making soup? ›

No, there is no need to soak red lentils before cooking but it is a good idea to give them a quick rinse.

Read On ›

Is red lentil soup good for you? ›

Incorporating red lentils to your diet can help you easily meet your fiber and protein needs. Red lentils also contain a significant amount of folate, which is a superhero involved in cell division. If someone eating plant-based does not get enough folate, it can affect the way DNA is made in our body.

Know More ›

Does lentil soup thicken as cool? ›

The soup will thicken as it cools. For the stovetop, in a large saucepan/pot, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they start to turn translucent, 2-3 minutes.

Learn More ›

How do you thicken red lentil soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Is it bad not to rinse red lentils? ›

It's best to be safe and rinse and sift through them before cooking, because no one wants to break a tooth by biting down on a rock. Follow this tip: Give the lentils a good rinse in a colander to remove any debris and sift through them to be sure there are no hidden stones tucked among the legumes.

Find Out More ›

Is it OK not to rinse red lentils? ›

Lentils do not require it but can be soaked in order to reduce cooking time by about half. Before cooking, rinse lentils in cold water, pick over to remove debris or shrivelled lentils, then drain.

Are red lentils anti-inflammatory? ›

Overall, lentils are a highly nutritious food with various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. The fiber and protein content in lentils make them beneficial for weight management, blood sugar regulation, and supporting overall gut health.

Which color lentil is healthiest? ›

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

See Details ›

Is lentil soup good for losing belly fat? ›

3. Get rid of that spare tire: In a recent 18-month study, folks who enjoyed lots of pulses (edible seeds of leguminous plants) like lentils lost more belly weight! Their fibre intake was higher, vitamins and minerals like chromium were better maintained, and the glycemic index of their meals was lower.

How do vegans thicken soup? ›

How to Thicken a Soup with Pureed Beans or Hummus. Blend 1½ cups cooked beans, lentils, or chickpeas with ½ cup water or broth until completely smooth. Add 2 tablespoons bean puree per 1 cup soup or stew, then stir until fully incorporated.

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How to add egg to soup without curdling? ›

Occasionally, a soup recipe will call for beaten eggs as a thickening agent. Both whole eggs and yolks can be used. To avoid curdling the eggs, start by drizzling about ½ cup of the hot broth into the eggs, stirring vigorously while you pour. Then add the egg mixture to the soup and cook until thickened.

When to add cream to soup? ›

If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do. Take about half a cup of the hot broth and slowly add your cream to that, stirring constantly.

Learn More ›

Can you overcook lentil soup? ›

Yes, you can overcook lentils; they will become mushy. Much depends on the type of lentil you're using. Some cook quicker and hold their shape better than others. To avoid overcooking them, always follow the cooking directions in your recipe and use the type of lentils called for in the ingredient list.

Learn More Now ›

What to pair with lentil soup? ›

Pair this lentil soup with crusty bread or a hearty salad like my kale salad or sweet potato salad. It would also go well with a vegetable side dish like roasted cauliflower, roasted broccoli, or a baked sweet potato.

Tell Me More ›

How do you make Jamie Oliver lentil soup? ›

Heat the oil in a large pan on a medium heat, add the garlic, carrots and bouillon powder (see below), then fry gently for 5 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly. Add the lentils, then pour in 1 litre of water and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally.

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What happens if you don't soak lentils before cooking? ›

Why Should You Soak Lentils? Certain pulses have a natural drive of causing gas and bloating in the body. Soaking mimics the natural germination process and changes the seed that is dormant and indigestible into the dal laden with nutrients and complete digestibility.

Discover More Details ›

How long should you soak lentils for soup? ›

It's all about digestion.

Lentils are 100 times easier to digest when soaked for a minimum of 2 and a maximum of 12 hours. Just make sure you rinse them well under running water once finished soaking. It is also important to note that by soaking the lentils they cook better.

Red Lentil Carrot Soup - Vegan Family Recipes (2024)