Spicy Carrot And Red Lentil Soup

Key Takeaways

• Dairy-free, vegan soup packed with healthy fats, proteins, and fiber for lunch or dinner;
• It’s a great make-ahead and freezer-friendly creamy soup;
• Easy to make fall and winter soup using basic pantry ingredients;

When I browse through all my recipes on the web, I realize that I haven’t shared so many creamy soups, which is odd because I love making and eating them! The first time I made this carrot and lentil soup I wanted to make it spicy, warming, and really fulfilling to warm us up on those chilly fall and winter days.

Luckily, my mom grew many beautiful carrots in her garden this year so I have been fortunate to use them often lately. Also, the inspiration for this recipe came from the book “Beba za stolom”. It is a book with a lot of useful information for baby-lead weaning and delicious recipes for the whole family. One of our favorite recipes from that book was pumpkin, lentil, and mandarine soup which we absolutely loved! This is a more spicy, hearty twist.

Here’s what you’re going to need for this recipe.

Carrot And Red Lentil Soup Ingredients

• Olive oil – for sauteing the veggies.

• Onion and garlic – we need it, like in most other savory meals, as a flavor foundation and aroma.

• Carrots – the star ingredient of this meal. They add sweetness and body to this soup. You could replace it with a pumpkin or sweet potato. And if you have organic carrots, don’t toss away the greens! You can make carrot tops pesto.

• Lentils – for some thickness and a good plant-based source of iron. I’m using red lentils because they cook very quickly. You can soak them but it’s not necessary in this recipe.

• Spices – I’ve used ginger and hot paprika powder to make this soup spicy. If you’re not a fan of spicy food, reduce the amount of these spices to your liking. You’re also going to need a bit of allspice, cumin powder, and smoked sweet paprika powder. And salt.

• Hot broth – for the vegan version, use vegetable broth. If you want, you could replace it with chicken broth for a deeper flavor.

• Coconut milk – you’re going to need unsweetened, full-fat coconut milk. You could replace it with crème fraîche or heavy whipping cream(if you’re not aiming for this soup to be vegan).

• Lime juice – a good splash of freshly squeezed lime juice will add some freshness and brightness to these sweet and spicy flavors. If you don’t have a lime, replace it with orange juice.

How To Make Spicy Carrot And Red Lentil Soup

Check out the recipe card at the end of this post. It has the exact amounts of ingredients and detailed recipe instructions!

STEP 1: Prepare the veggies

Peel and chop the onion. Mince the garlic, and peel and dice the carrots.

STEP 2: Saute the veggies, add spices and broth

Saute onion in preheated oil until fragrant and translucent, then add garlic, and saute for a minute. Add carrots and spices, and saute briefly. Pour the hot vegetable broth, stir well, and cover with a lid. Let it boil and cook for about 10 minutes.

STEP 3: Add lentils, cook until soft, and pour coconut milk

Add the lentils and continue cooking until the carrots and lentils become soft. Pour coconut milk and stir well.

STEP 4: Blend, add salt and lime juice

Blend everything well with an immersion blender into a thick, creamy soup. Finally, add lime juice and season with salt to your taste.

STEP 5: Serve the soup

This thick, creamy carrot and red lentil soup is best served with something refreshing, like a good drizzle of kefir or yogurt. I also enjoy adding some good, hearty bread and toasted sunflower seeds.

Serving Suggestions

When you’ve done all the work, it’s time to eat! When serving this spicy carrot and lentil soup, I like to dollop it with some coconut or Greek yogurt with toasted seeds. This soup has a strong flavor so it needs something light and refreshing for serving. You could also add a swirl of kefir milk.

And for the perfect accompaniment, here are a few serving suggestions:

• No-Knead Whole Wheat Focaccia – the chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor pair beautifully with it.
• Bread Croutons – add some crunch by sprinkling store-bought or homemade croutons on top. These go great with all kinds of creamy soups!
• Rye Sourdough Bread – oh, how I love a slice of toasted rye bread with this soup! Its robust, and a bit sour taste is a great match for the spicy and sweet flavor profile of this soup so definitely give it a try.
• Pumpkin-Shaped Dinner Rolls – these are my kid’s favorite and they’re perfect for dipping in a warm bowl of this creamy goodness.
• Naan Bread – its softness and mild flavor make it perfect to serve with this soup.
• Basic White Bread – serve it lightly toasted. It will give a crunchy texture that contrasts nicely with the creaminess of this soup.

Storing and Freezing Carrot Lentil Soup

Once prepared, the leftover spicy carrot and red lentil soup can be successfully stored in the refrigerator and freezer.

Allow the soup to cool to room temperature and pour it into an airtight container. Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to freeze it and eat it on those days when you want to eat something warm and comforting but don’t have time to cook, here’s how you can do it. Portion the soup into individual freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags. Write the name of the soup and the freezing date and store up to 2 months.

More Comforting Fall And Winter Recipes

• PEA AND MINT SOUP
• BEAN AND MEAT STEW (GRAH VARIVO)
• WHOLE WHEAT PASTA ARRABBIATA
• SARMA (CROATIAN CABBAGE ROLLS)

Give this spicy carrot and lentil soup a try tonight. I’m sure it’ll become one of your family’s favorite soups. Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments. Snap a photo and tag @foodandmoodblog on Instagram- I’d love to see your creations!