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Creamy Yellow Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika and Coconut Milk

This creamy yellow lentil soup is a quick, comforting, plant-based delight featuring earthy lentils, velvety coconut milk, and a hint of smoked paprika—perfect for a cozy evening dinner. Don't miss the captivating story below to entertain you while your soup gently simmers!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Keyword Curry, lentils
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 519kcal
Author Perplexity’s Deep Research

Equipment

  • 1 immersion blender

Instructions

  • Dice 1 medium onion (≈150g)
  • Mince 2 garlic cloves
  • Slice 2 carrots (≈100g) into half-moons

Measure spices:

  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp turmeric

Cooking Process (25 minutes active time)

  • Sauté aromatics: In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions 3 minutes until translucent, then add garlic and carrots. Sauté 2 minutes more.
  • Toast spices: Stir in measured spices and cook 1 minute until fragrant, awakening essential oils.
  • Simmer lentils: Add ¾ cup yellow lentils (150g), rinsed. Pour in 3 cups vegetable broth (720ml) and bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer uncovered 20 minutes until lentils soften
  • Finish with coconut: Stir in ½ cup canned coconut milk (120ml). For creamier texture, blend half the soup using an immersion blender

Notes

Serving suggestion:
A glass of Pinot Grigio would make an excellent companion to this lentil soup. This light, crisp white wine offers just enough acidity to cut through the coconut milk's creaminess while complementing the soup's aromatic spices. For those preferring an alcohol-free option, a ginger-lime infused sparkling water would perfectly complement the soup's flavor profile
 
Allergens:
  • Check the ingredients of your vegetable broth
 
Non-vegan alternative:
You can use ghee instead of olive oil, but consider that its carbon footprint is 10 times higher than that of olive oil.
 
Emission Hotspots:
  • Shop to home transportation, if a combustion car is used
 
Sustainability tips:
  • Walk or bike to the supermarket and farmer’s market
  • Buy organic ingredients to reduce chemical intake and enhance biodiversity
  • Give the carrot greens and ends to your guinea pigs 🐹
  • Use a rice cooker to save energy, if you have one with soup function (like the Reishunger Rice cooker)
  • Transform any leftover soup into completely new meals by incorporating it into other dishes. The coconut lentil soup works beautifully as a sauce over rice or as a base for grain bowls the next day
  • Consider batch cooking double portions of this soup since lentil dishes typically freeze exceptionally well. Portion the extras into individual containers for quick future meals, reducing the temptation to order takeout (with its associated packaging waste)
  • When storing leftovers, use transparent containers placed at eye level in your refrigerator as a visual reminder to consume them before they spoil
  • Freeze leftover coconut milk in ice cube trays for future recipes.