Curried Red Lentil Soup
Beans and greens are a winning combination for health, satisfaction, and budgets. For some, curries and soups are a cold weather meal, but I could eat a good curry year round. If you tend toward more spice sensitivity and vata body type, adjust to use less curry or increase the coconut oil and milk. If you tend toward more kapha body type, reduce coconut oil by half, add some cayenne or hot pepper, or increase lemon juice. If you’re cooking for more than one and you have differing Ayurvedic constitutions and/or taste preferences, cut the curry powder in half and adjust individual servings with condiments (coconut oil/milk, lemon juice, cayenne). Be aware that this recipe is medium spicy and spice levels are subjective. The spice level will depend on your curry blend, but also how much the spice is tamed by fat. If you are unsure how your curry blend will work out, start with 1 T and add bit by bit until it hits your happy place.
This soup will thicken as it cools and can even be used as a dip or sandwich spread leftover. If reheating, be sure to add more water to loosen. Red lentils absorb lots of water so make sure to stir fairly often while making this and don’t keep the heat too high to prevent burning and sticking on the bottom of the pot.
Feel free to substitute different leafy greens and add even more greens. Different beans will work too but red lentils are the fastest and often tend toward producing less gas in digestion. This recipe gets better as it sits so it works nicely as a main or side over a week, and freezes well if eating the same thing over days is unappealing.
Ingredients:
2T olive oil
1/2 C coconut oil
1-2 onions, small diced, about 1 cup diced
1 C strong ginger tea or 2 inches fresh ginger minced
1/2 head garlic minced
1 large bunch collard greens, cut into squares or chiffonade in one direction then the other direction
3 1/2 C red lentils
2 cans coconut milk (regular size cans, about 13.5 oz each)
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 C curry powder- I used mochi blend, any type of curry will work according to your taste
1 T dried lemongrass powder or the juice of one lemon
1 tsp ground cumin seed
6-8 C water
Makes about 5 quarts.
Procedure:
Heat both oils in a large pot. I used a 26 Le Creuset with a 5.5 quart volume. Add onions and cook till they start to turn translucent, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic, collards, and ginger. If using minced ginger, add 1 C water. Cook till the collards turn a more olive green, about ten minutes.
Add lentils and 4 C water. Cook until the lentils fall apart, adding more water as necessary to keep the soup thin enough from not sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the lentils are cooked, add coconut milk, salt, curry, lemongrass or juice, and cumin. Cook for another 20- 30 minutes to let the flavors meld, adding more water as necessary to prevent sticking.
Adjust seasonings to taste.