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Carrot and lentil soup lives at the beautiful intersection of great-tasting, super-easy, and good for ya. Layers of cozy spices make it taste simmered all day in 45 hands-off minutes. Don’t miss it.
Why we love this recipe
We had a carrot-buying miscommunication before we left for a midwinter trip to Barbados several years ago, and six pounds of carrots in the fridge when we got back. The idea for this recipe arose out of an equal need to make a dent in those carrots, keep warm and cozy, and hey, maybe maintain our tans from the inside out.
Red lentils — one of my favorite ingredients, period — do double duty adding a nice heft to the soup and conveniently helping you stay alive. They add comforting bulk and a healthy dose of fiber, without really making a big deal out of themselves.
Layers of warming spices — ginger and garlic, Thai red curry paste, and turmeric — are both flavorful and cozy.
What you’ll need
Here’s a glance at the ingredients you’ll need to make a great batch of soup.
- This soup is a great way to use up a bumper crop of carrots. Cut them nice and small so they’ll get tender quickly.
- Red lentils are one of my favorite ingredients. They cook quickly into a well-mannered element in this soup.
- Thai red curry paste is a ready-made blend of herbs, spices, and aromatics. Our favorite brand contains red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shallot, kaffir lime, and more. A little jar lasts a long time in the fridge. It’s available in many supermarkets, or get it here.
- Canned coconut milk is different from the refrigerated stuff in the carton. It’s much more concentrated and is what you want to use here (and in most recipes calling for coconut milk). You can use regular or lite.
How to make it
This is the easiest soup you’ll ever make. Here’s all you need to do. You can see the steps in action in the video that accompanies this post. And get all the details in the recipe card below.
- Prep the ingredients by dicing the carrot and onion nice and small, and mincing the ginger and garlic (or grating it on a microplane).
- Add everything but the lime juice to a nice big pot.
- Bring to a boil, then let it simmer, uncovered, until everything is tender.
- Purée with an immersion blender (or carefully in a regular blender), leaving as much texture as you like. I stop when there are no remaining pieces of onion and carrot, but the soup still has a rustic feel. Stir in the lime juice and you’re ready to serve!
Expert tips and FAQs
Thai red curry paste is a ready-made blend of herbs, spices, and aromatics. Our favorite brand contains red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shallot, kaffir lime, and more. A little jar lasts a long time in the fridge. It’s available in many supermarkets, or get it here.
Canned coconut milk is what you’ll need for most recipes. It’s much less diluted than the the stuff in the carton. You can use regular or lite canned coconut milk for this recipe.
You can absolutely make it in advance. The flavors only develop over time. Make it earlier in the day and leave it on the stovetop, or make days in advance and store tightly sealed in the fridge (once cool).
Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year.
This easy garnish is just a drizzle of coconut milk, some sliced green onions (other herbs would work too), and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
You can drizzle the coconut milk with a spoon, but I like to put what’s left in the can after making the soup into a plastic squeeze bottle, keep it in the fridge, and use it throughout the week to drizzle on basically everything.
More favorite easy vegan soups
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Carrot and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds carrots, trimmed and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1- inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup red lentils, rinsed
- 1 heaping tablespoon Thai red curry paste
- 8 cups good vegetable stock
- ⅔ cup canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the lime juice in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots and lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.
- Puree with an immersion blender or carefully in a regular blender until no carrot chunks remain but there’s still some nice texture.
- Stir in the lime juice, ladle into bowls, and serve.
Notes
- Thai red curry paste is a ready-made blend of herbs, spices, and aromatics. Our favorite brand contains red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, shallot, kaffir lime, and more. A little jar lasts a long time in the fridge. It’s available in many supermarkets, or get it here.
- Canned coconut milk is what you’ll need for most recipes. It’s much less diluted than the the stuff in the carton. You can use regular or lite canned coconut milk for this recipe.
- You can absolutely make it in advance. The flavors only develop over time. Make it earlier in the day and leave it on the stovetop, or make days in advance and store tightly sealed in the fridge (once cool).Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year.
- This easy garnish is just a drizzle of coconut milk, some sliced green onions (other herbs would work too), and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt.You can drizzle the coconut milk with a spoon, but I like to put what’s left in the can after making the soup into a plastic squeeze bottle, keep it in the fridge, and use it throughout the week to drizzle on basically everything.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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