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Red Lentil Coconut Soup is a warm, rich soup full of spice. Let this soup simmer on the stove and your house will smell wonderful. This soup makes a great freezer friendly meal that tastes just as good a month later.
Lentil recipes are my favorite types of recipes to make. This Red Lentil Coconut Soup is one to add to the list. Lentils freeze very well and this soup tastes great months later.
One of my most popular recipes on A Cedar Spoon is the Moroccan Red Lentil Soup that I shared last year. It is one of my favorite soups to make because of the warm feeling I get, the health benefits it has, the fact I can freeze half for later and the way it makes my house smell! Today’s soup is no different!
This is one I make a lot in the cooler months and just love it. If you like lentils you should also check out some other recipes like this Lebanese Lentil Soup, Red Lentil Curry, Mediterranean Lentil Salad or this Slow Cooker Lentil Soup.
Recipe Ingredients
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Vegetables: carrots, celery, sweet onion and garlic
- Spices: cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika and cinnamon
- Red Lentils
- Vegetable Broth
- Diced Tomatoes
- Tomato Paste
- Coconut Milk
How to Make Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Step 1. Sauté Vegetables: Add olive oil to a large dutch and heat over medium high heat. Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery with olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 2. Add Spices: Add cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika and cinnamon and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Step 3. Add Remaining Ingredients: Add lentils, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and coconut milk and stir well then simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Step 4. Puree Soup: Puree half with immersion blender if you like a thicker, creamier soup and return to the pot.
Garnish with cilantro, red pepper flakes and serve warm.
More Soup Recipes
Vegetarian
Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup
Mediterranean
Lemon Lentil Soup Recipe
Mediterranean
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
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Red Lentil Coconut Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1/2 sweet onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups red lentils, rinsed until water runs clean and picked over
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- Dash salt and pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes, for garnish
- parsley , for garnish
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large dutch and heat over medium high heat.
- Sauté onion, garlic, carrots and celery with olive oil over medium heat until soft, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add cumin, turmeric, coriander, paprika and cinnamon and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
- Add lentils, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and coconut milk and stir well then simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
- Puree half with immersion blender if you like a thicker, creamier soup and return to the pot.
- Garnish with cilantro, red pepper flakes and serve warm.
Notes
- Once your soup is almost done if you feel that too much broth was soaked up into the lentils you can add 1 or 2 more cups of broth. It really depends on how thick you want your soup.
- This soup is great for the freezer. Let it cool completely and store in airtight containers or Ziplock freezer bags with the recipe name and date on it. Remove from freezer the day before you are ready to eat it to let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Such a great way to make lentil soup.
Absolutely delicious soup. I love it. I used just a cup and a half of lentils, and decided not to blend it, otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. I adore it and will make it again and again. Thank you for the recipe! It is so incredibly flavorful.
I am so glad that you liked it!
Dear Lord…. this is probably the best soup I have ever eaten in my life and I have eaten some amazing soups. I made it twice in as many days, just so I can have tons left over for freezing. It’s got everything: Great nutritional profile; easy and quick to make for a soup; cheap on ingredients, especially if you make your own veg broth; sits really well in the stomach with no after effects; fat is adjustable with coconut milk; filling as mine came out thick when I immersion blended about 3/4 of it and LORD Have Mercy, is it ever delicious. The whole family loves it. I’ll be making this and eating it for the rest of my life !!
I am so glad that you enjoyed it! We love lentil soups and this is one of our favorites too.
this sounds incredible! I love lentils, I pinned to save for cooler months…
From start to finish this soup is just lovely!. I especially love the coconut milk as the base.
Thanks so much! I agree the coconut milk makes a great base.
I just love this! Such a beautiful color between the red lentils, the tomato paste and the paprika. I set out to make this for dinner, got out some vegetable stock from the freezer and got to work. Being me I ended up adding a bunch of different spices (I still have curry leaves from the Indian grocery– yay!) and had different quantities of things, so it’s a different soup, but you did answer the question of what’s for dinner tonight— red lentil soup!
I hope you love it as much as I do! The color is just beautiful isn’t it!?
Oh my gosh I just love how this looks. I’m a huge fan of lentils and want to make this for dinner tonight. Love!!
Thanks Susan! I love lentils too, especially red lentils! I hope you like it!