This garam masala lentil soup is a simple yet fulfilling meal packed with intense flavours. Healthy red and brown lentils, Indian garam masala, chili peppers and creamy coconut make it an exotic, spicy, creamy and absolutely delicious meal.
You’ll love this dish. Not only is it healthy and tasty but also budget-friendly and satisfying. In fact, every spoon will be full of rich flavours, a combination of creamy, sweet, savoury and spicy. Wow! What a blend! Amazing.
And talking about the blend. Garam masala is a wonderful blend of spices and flavours. You can find it almost everywhere, but most certainly in an Indian or Asian shop. It pairs great with vegetables, meat, poultry and it enhances your soup, stew and goulash. For instance, check this protein-rich chicken black-eyed peas soup, this beef-peas goulash or this seven-spice chicken. You can also use it in a salad, just like I did in my spice roasted pumpkin salad.
Lentils are wonderful. Do you like them, too? They are perfect for stews and soups. Not only that but they make a wonderful vegetarian dish as well. For example, a healthy beetroot Beluga lentils burger or these cherry tomatoes and lentils inspired me to include lentils more often in my diet. Also if you fancy fish or seafood, check this hearty lentil-shrimp soup.
Furthermore, in this recipe, I used red and brown lentils. But you can use any lentils you like most. The difference in lentils shows most in their consistency after being cooked. On one hand, red lentils will be softer and mushier and consequently will make the soup thicker. On the other hand, brown lentils will hold their shape also after cooking.
The delightful ingredient which brings all together is coconut milk. Lovely. I love coconut milk. Especially the canned one. It is creamy, thick and so delicious. Yeah, true, it has fat, but when you use it within reasonable limits, it’s a wonderful addition to your diet. Yeah, almost by any other food.
Try this dish and maybe you’ll become a fan of asian spices. Wink. Additionally, it makes a great dish to reheat the next day, a well.
Ingredients for 2-3 portions of garam masala lentil soup:
- half a tsp of coriander seeds
- 1 big yellow onion (sliced)
- 3 garlic cloves (sliced)
- 2 tsp of turmeric powder
- 3 tsp of garam masala
- 200 g of diced tomatoes (canned)
- 450 ml of hot water
- 100 g dry brown lentils
- 100 g dry red lentils
- 400 ml of canned coconut milk
- salt
- 1 tsp of sweet paprika
- 1 yellow chili
- fresh coriander or parsley (garnish, optional)
To begin, heat some olive oil in a larger pot or skillet with a higher edge. Then, add the coriander seeds and cook them for a minute. Stir in the sliced onion and garlic. Once they turn soft, sprinkle with turmeric and garam masala, stir for 30 seconds and pour in the diced tomatoes. Again, stir a couple of times and add the lentils (either dry or cooked).
At this point, pour in the hot water and bring everything to boil. When it starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, season with salt, cover with a lid and simmer for about 35 to 40 minutes (15-20 if using already cooked lentils) or until the lentils get tender or at least al dente.
In order to prevent the lentils from sticking at the bottom of the pan, keep stirring here and there. In case the lentils result a bit too dry, add a splash of water.
When the lentils are cooked, add the coconut milk, sweet paprika and sliced chili pepper. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Then, remove from the heat and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Finally, fill up your bowl with the delicious, hearty and creamy garam masala lentil soup and garnish with some fresh coriander or parsley. If you like, you can add even more fresh sliced hot chili pepper.
Enjoy!
