CURRIED RED LENTIL BISQUE

This creamy soup inspiration came from a 3-day cleanse site by Dr Alejandro Junger. I don’t advocate ‘cleanses’ or ‘detox’ programs. If you consistently eat whole, unprocessed foods, you won’t feel the need to cleanse your body!

I omitted the coconut oil and changed the coconut milk to coconut water from the original recipe. I used some sweet Vidalia onion along with a regular white onion. Once I blended the cooked soup, it was way more tasty than I expected. Add a squeeze of lime and cilantro, and you’ll just keep eating this lovely, decadent bisque. My photos are greenish yellow because I used homemade stock that was dark in color. The flavors were still fabulous.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
  • 3 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp red curry paste or powder, more or less to taste
  • 1 cup coconut water
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 2 cups red lentils
  • 8 cups fresh water or broth

Instructions

  1. Heat a large (heavy-bottomed is best) soup pot over medium-high heat.
  2. 

Stir in the onions, allowing them to cook slowly and release their natural juices, until translucent and soft.
  3. When they start to soften, stir in the ginger and garlic. Cook until fragrant, then add the spices and curry paste or powder. Mix everything together well.
  4. Reduce heat and add coconut water and almond milk. Let cook for 5 minutes before adding lentils and stock.
  5. Lower heat and cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring often to keep the lentils from sticking to the pot. As the lentils cook, they will break down and thicken the soup. Add more liquid as you see fit.
  6. When lentils are tender, you can blend the soup directly in the pot with an immersion blender or let cool and add in batches (2 cups at a time) to a blender and puree until smooth. You can use additional coconut water or broth to thin out the puree if needed.
  7.  Garnish with lime juice to taste and freshly chopped cilantro, optional.