Sweet Curry Lentil Soup

The weather may be warming up a little (ok, so it was 85 deg F in Houston today!), but I am still loving soups! There's just something so comforting about snuggling up on the couch with a bowl of warm, delicious soup. 

I came up with this soup recipe when I was trying to create a superfood soup recipe with an interesting flavor. Enter the sweet curry spice mix! 

Sweet curry spice mix has all the intense, savory, curry flavors but very little heat. The sweet curry spice mix I used was from Penzeys. It contained turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, fenugreek, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, cardamom, cloves, and a little cayenne pepper. That's a lot of spices! This mix is so fragrant and perfumes the house with an exotic aroma. The benefit of using a curry that does not have a lot of heat, is that kids or people that are not sure if they like curry, can try it. Sweet curry spice mix is also excellent to jazz up other dishes like chicken salad or deviled eggs... yum! 

One of the main ingredients in the sweet curry spice mix is turmeric. Turmeric comes from a root with a golden yellow color. The root is often dried, then ground into a powder to be used as a spice either alone, or mixed with other spices to create a spice mix e.g. curry. 

There have been thousands of scientific studies on turmeric. One of the major benefits of turmeric is its anti-inflammatory properties. It has been shown to help with arthritis, help with depression, has anti-cancer benefits, help manage diabetes, promote weight loss etc. etc. Turmeric can even be used to treat skin conditions due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Is there anything that turmeric can't do??? 

Turmeric has a distinct golden yellow color, which makes this soup so vibrant. The soup is creamy from the coconut milk, has a little crunch from the carrots and celery, and a slight chew from the red lentils. I also love to add a little chopped cilantro as a garnish. The color and flavor of the cilantro is a perfect compliment to the savory, spicy flavors of the yellow curry. 

This Sweet Curry Lentil Soup was a hit with my family. My parents in law, husband and  5 year old loved it! It's nutritious, filling and most of all, delicious! 

This recipe is a quick and easy meal prep too! It keeps well in the fridge for up to a week and is really easy to reheat in the microwave for a quick lunch or dinner.  

Let me know if you give this recipe a try! If you take a photo, post it on Instagram and tag me @nourish_with_renata and #nourishwithrenata on Instagram! I would love to see what you make!

Sweet Curry Lentil Soup

A hearty, vegetarian soup filled with lentils, vegetables and bold, spicy curry flavors!

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion (finely diced)
• 1 large carrot (diced)
• 2 stalks celery (diced)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2.5 tbsp sweet curry spice mix
• 14 oz red lentils (rinsed, drained and any bits removed)
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (shaken well)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup chopped kale (optional)
• Chopped cilantro (optional garnish)

Instructions:

1. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
2. Add onions and sauté till tender and starting to turn golden brown.
3. Add carrots and celery and stir.
4. Add in garlic and stir till fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Now add in the sweet curry spice mix. This will wake up all the beautiful curry flavors and make the whole kitchen smell delicious!
6. Add in the lentils and stir till well combined.
7. Slowly pour in the chicken broth. Stir thoroughly.
8. Lower the heat to medium low and allow the soup to simmer till the lentils are softened, about 15 mins.
9. Pour in the coconut milk and stir till well combined. Add in kale, if desired.
10. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste.
11. If desired, garnish with cilantro before serving.

Can be cooled and stored in the fridge for up to 1 week in an airtight container.