Lemongrass Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion (1 medium onion)
- 2 Tablespoons minced ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup finely chopped lemongrass
- 2 cups chopped carrot (about 3 medium)
- 1 ½ cups chopped celery (about 3 stalks)
- 1 lb dried lentils, rinsed (about 2 ½ cups)
- 15-16 ounces canned tomato sauce or crushed tomato
- 32 ounces (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock/broth (plus more if needed)
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 Tablespoon curry powder
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 2 TBSP)
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon pink Himalayan or sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Chopped spinach or kale (optional)
Instructions
- Pour lentils into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cool water until water runs clear. Set aside to drain while you prepare the vegetables.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- Add onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes until onions are translucent
- Add in your celery, carrot, lentils, tomato sauce, broth, water, and spices. Increase heat and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until lentils soften, adding more water or broth if needed.
- For a thicker soup, using an immersion blender, blend a few times to break up some of the lentils (or you could use a whisk or transfer a few cups to a blender).
- Add lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasonings if need be. Ladle into bowls and enjoy
- Optional: add in chopped spinach or kale during last few minutes of cooking.
Notes
Serves 6-8. Per Serving (based on using vegetable stock):
Calories: 223 |
Total Fat: 6 g |
Total Carbohydrate: 41 g |
Dietary Fiber: 15 g |
Protein: 13 g
Ingredient Highlights
Carrots were originally medicine, not food. They’ve been used in potions and remedies for the stomach, bladder, jaundice, the easing of menstruation, and cancer.
Cayenne pepper is a good source of beta carotene and antioxidants that support the immune system. The key compound in cayenne called capsaicin is also cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, helps prevent kidney stones and speed up metabolism and has beneficial effects on the GI system.
Celery is rich in the flavonoid apigenin, which has been found to inhibit tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis in a wide variety of cancers.
There are over 300 varieties of garlic grown around the world. It is considered both a vegetable and an herb and is clinically proven to support the immune system.
Ginger is a potent aromatic herb and a good natural source of vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. It has been used for thousands of years in Asia to treat stomach ache, diarrhea, and nausea.
Kale is a powerful detoxifier, supports heart health, and is anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial.
High in vitamin C, lemon contains potent antioxidants that support a healthy immune system and respiratory function.
Lemongrass is a fragrant herb that’s good for digestion and helps regulate high blood pressure. While perhaps best known for its strong, refreshing flavor, lemongrass is a source of essential vitamins and minerals including vitamins A, B, and C as well as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, zinc, and iron.
Lentils are underrated nutritional powerhouses. They’re high in fiber and protein as well as a number of vitamins and minerals including molybdenum, folate, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron, vitamin B5, zinc, vitamin B6, and potassium.
Pure olive oil is high in nutrients including vitamins D, E, K, and A as well as omega-3 fatty acids. For the highest quality, look for organic extra virgin olive oil in dark glass bottles or tins that have an expiry date.
Onions are nutrient-dense, meaning they’re low in calories but high in vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C, B, and potassium. The flavanoids are concentrated in the outer layers, so try to remove as few layers as possible when peeling.
One of many nutrient-dense leafy greens, spinach can improve digestion, flush bodily toxins, and promote skin health.
Tomatoes contain the 4 major carotenoids, alpha and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene, which help maintain eye and vision health, boost immunity, and lower inflammation.
Wow! You won me over with my reading the ingredients of this Lemongrass Curry Lentil Soup. I am going to go shopping for the ingredients today. Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe. I look forward to making this for me and my boyfriend. He's been focusing on cutting down on carbs. I'll bet he'll be super thrilled when I show him the recipe. Wishing you a great day!
Hello Sandra Walton, Thank YOU for being here with us. Please let us know how this turns out for you. Enjoy your day!
Thank you for this recipe. The ingredients are everything I always seem to have on hand. Looking forward to using lemongrass in this curry. I have a large amount growing in my garden at this time. The "Ingredient Highlights" were a healthy bonus. Calming food for the Winter. Even in Florida!
Hi Susie! Mmmm... fresh lemongrass. Hope you love this soup as much as I did. Happy cooking :-)
Looked so interesting, until the tomatoes. Drat, can’t have tomatoes (or potatoes) so a lot of soups go by the wayside. I don’t dare try it without the tomato. Thanks for the recipes, I really appreciate your work putting these recipes online! I appreciate the health information in the ingredient list also!
Hey Melissa! An idea would be to substitute the canned tomatoes with a can of full fat coconut milk. You may need to adjust flavorings, but I bet it would still be delicious. You could also substitute the canned tomatoes with a blend of cooked up veggies (boil your veggies until soft and blend up into a thick veggie consistency). Thanks for reaching out. I'm so happy that you're enjoying the recipes.