Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup

I’m finally getting around to posting this delicious recipe for Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup, which Christian sent me a while back, knowing I’d love it. Everyone loves it. It’s not only a super simple meal to throw together, it’s full of rich, delectable flavors and just keeps getting better as the days go on. Catherine likes to use the leftovers for breakfast and throws in some eggs to turn it into a shakshuka, which is also insanely yummy. Don’t let the word soup prevent you from serving it on a summer eve. The yogurt cools things off and makes for a perfect late evening dinner on the porch. I grabbed the pic above right off the Bon Appétit website as my photo did not do the dish justice.

Note: If you, like Catherine, abstain from eating dairy, top the soup with Cocojune’s Cultured Coconut. It’s her favorite plant-based yogurt.

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 large onion

• 6 garlic cloves

• One 3-inch piece ginger

• 2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

• 5 teaspoons curry powder

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• One 13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

• 1 cup split red lentils

• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more

• One 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed

• One 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes

• Plain non-dairy or whole-milk yogurt (for serving; optional)

• While not included in the Bon Appétit recipe, I add chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation

1. Peel 1 onion and chop. Smash 6 garlic cloves with the flat side of your knife. Peel, then finely chop. Peel 3" piece ginger with a small spoon, then finely chop.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large Dutch oven over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring often, just until translucent, 6–8 minutes.

3. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring often, until garlic is starting to turn golden, about 5 minutes.

4. Add 5 tsp. curry powder and ½ tsp. cayenne and cook, stirring constantly, until spices are aromatic and starting to stick to bottom of pot, about 1 minute.

5. Add 13.5 oz. coconut milk and stir to loosen spices, then stir in 1 cup lentils, ½ cup shredded coconut, 2 tsp. salt, and 5 cups water.

6. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low to keep soup at a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are broken down and soup is thickened, 25–30 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, remove 10 oz. thawed frozen spinach from packaging and squeeze between your hands over sink to remove excess water. Transfer to cutting board and coarsely chop.

8. Add spinach and 15 oz. tomatoes to pot and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt. Simmer just to let flavors meld, about 5 minutes. Taste and season again with more salt.

9. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with yogurt and cilantro, if desired.