Spring is just around the corner, and I can’t wait. Because of daylight savings the light has changed and memories of warmer days are coming back to me. The snow is melting, birds are chirping and I saw some little green stems poking out of the ground this morning. We still have a few weeks before the farmer’s markets start to sell fresh spring produce, so in the meantime here’s one last soup to take you out of the winter season.
A couple posts ago I wrote about the importance of meal planning, and one of my favourite ways to get inspired is to flip through Chatelaine, Alive or Sage magazines for recipe ideas. It may spark an idea for a recipe I haven’t made in a while or inspire me to try something new.
I personally love Thai flavours and pretty much anything with coconut milk and curry, so when I saw a recipe for Thai lentil soup in Sage magazine I had to try it, and it’s a keeper. I made a double batch because there’s nothing better than having leftover soup in your freezer to pull out on a weeknight for a quick, healthy meal.
I love making soups or stews with red lentils because they have the third-highest level of protein, by weight, of any legume or nut. On top of that, they are a great source of insoluble and soluble fibre, folate, tryptophan (helps regulate appetite and sleep, elevates mood), manganese, and iron amoung other vitamins and minerals.
Spicy Thai Coconut Lentil Soup
Makes 8 servings
Adapted from Sage Magazine
Ingredients
2 tbsp. coconut oil
2 small yellow onions, peeled and diced
4 tbsp. red curry paste
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1 cup red lentils
2, 900mL cartons organic chicken or vegetable stock
1 can coconut milk
1/4 cilantro, chopped
Method
In a large stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add curry paste, and cook for 1 minute.
Add potatoes, lentils and stock and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are cooked and potatoes can be easily stabbed with a fork. Stir in coconut milk and simmer for a few minutes.
Serve into bowls and garnish with cilantro. Serve with Mary’s crackers.
Store leftovers in freezer for up to 3 months.
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