Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk Recipe
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Jump to RecipeRed Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk is a creamy comforting recipe loaded with vegetables, curry, and spices. It’s savory, cozy, and just a little bit spicy for a touch of heat.
This soup is plant-based and high in fiber, making it a great choice for lunch or a light dinner. Serve this delicious lentil coconut soup with homemade garlic naan bread, easy quinoa tabbouleh, or your favorite side salad.
If you’re looking for a decadent comforting lunch or dinner recipe, this red lentil soup with coconut milk is here for you. This soup is a little spicy, a little sweet, and loaded with good-for-you ingredients. With red lentils, tomatoes, herbs, and spices – this is one great recipe for an easy meal prep lunch or dinner.
Every weekend I make two big pots of soup: one for my lunches for the week, and one for my husband’s. We normally enjoy different things, but this soup is SO flavorful and good I make a double batch for the both of us. It’s easy to make a big batch, and portion into individual containers or mason jars for lunch.
This Red Lentil Coconut Milk Recipe Is
- Creamy
- Fresh
- Bright
- Spiced
- Versatile
- Loaded with Flavor
- Vegan, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, High in Fiber & Plant Protein!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Onion, Garlic, Carrots, Parsley, Ginger Root
- Coconut Oil: I always keep a few jars of this organic coconut oil on hand, it’s great for cooking and baking.
- Red Lentils: one of my favorite legumes to stock up on! I always keep a few pounds of these on hand, they are great to throw into soups like this as they dissolve and have a fantastic texture.
- Curry Powder: is a great flavor booster to soups, stews, and lentil dishes like this one! I love this mild curry powder which has a great taste. You can also use a curry paste if you have some on hand.
- Tomatoes
- Coconut Milk: I use unsweetened full-fat coconut milk, which I’d definitely recommend over lite coconut milk. The flavor makes this dish super rich and creamy without any dairy.
- Red Chili Pepper Flakes: for a little heat! I like to add a few shakes to this recipe to give this dish a nice complex depth of flavor.
Be sure to visit the recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and recipe instructions!
Make Golden Red Lentil Curry Soup Vegan for a Plant-Based Version
This vegan golden red lentil curry is a simple way to get extra veggies in your diet. I’m all about making recipes plant-based when I can. Vegan cooking does NOT have to be bland, boring, or flavorless… It’s quite the opposite when done right. By building meals around vegan pantry staples and swapping in a few plant-based ingredients you can make better meals for you and your family.
This recipe is naturally vegan and vegetarian, since it uses plant-based ingredients and vegetable stock. If you don’t care about making it vegan or vegetarian, you can choose to use a chicken stock instead.
How To Make This Recipe
Step 1: In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
Step 2: Add the carrots, ginger, parsley, jalapeno pepper (if using) and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add the tomatoes and stir them into the vegetables.
Step 4: Add the vegetable stock, lentils, curry powder. Cover and simmer the lentils for 20 to 25 minutes until the water has absorbed and the lentils are tender.
Step 5: Remove lid, and pour in the coconut milk. Stir, taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Step 6: Stir well, and enjoy hot. Garnish with extra chili flakes, herbs, or lime juice and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This soup is thick and creamy, and hearty from the vegetables and red lentils. You can enjoy it chunky, or puree it with a hand blender for a creamier soup if desired.
If you have leftover soup, store it in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Yes! Store in an airtight container (I like to use glass mason jars with lids) or a plastic bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you are ready to eat, thaw the frozen soup and heat until boiling.
Pro Tips
- When chopping the vegetables, make them roughly the same size. You want the pieces small enough to be bite-sized and consistent throughout the soup.
- For a spicier soup, you can add extra chili flakes, or add in chopped chilis or jalapeno peppers for flavor.
- If making this recipe ahead of time, follow all the steps and refrigerate the soup. Heat before enjoying!
More Vegan Bean Soup Ideas
- Mushroom Soup with Coconut Milk
- Lentil Barley Soup
- Cannellini Bean Soup
- Fasolatha White Bean Soup
- Black Bean Soup with Avocado
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Red Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 large carrots chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger root grated
- 1 1/2 cups red lentils
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 14 ounce can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 bunch parsley chopped, both leaves and stems
- 6 cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 13.5 ounce can Coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon each Sea Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the carrots, ginger, lentils, curry powder, tomatoes, parsley, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Cover and simmer the lentils for 20 to 25 minutes until the water has absorbed and the lentils are tender.
- Remove lid and stir in the coconut milk. Top with fresh chili flakes and salt and pepper if desired. Serve with lime juice if desired.
Notes
- When chopping the vegetables, make them roughly the same size. You want the pieces small enough to be bite-sized and consistent throughout the soup.
- For a spicier soup, you can add extra chili flakes, or add in chopped chilis or jalapeno peppers for flavor.
- If making this recipe ahead of time, follow all the steps and refrigerate the soup. Heat before enjoying!
Nutrition
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Excellent! After adding the coconut milk, I used my stick blender to puree half of it and that made the texture perfect since I like thicker soups. Didn’t quite need all 6 cups of broth, a little over 5 was fine.
Hi Kathie,
That’s a great recommendation for a thicker soup! Thank you so much for the rating and review, I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Thanks, Kelly
Yummy
Hello! Do you recommend Italian or curly parsley? Also, if fresh isn’t available, how much dry parsley do you suggest? Thanks!
I love homemade soups and this one is no exception
Thank you for the recipe. It may sound odd, but I enjoyed it without the curry or red pepper flakes. It was satisfying and the perfect soup on a cold evening trying to finish recovering from a cold. Thank you
Hi Carol,
That is wonderful to hear – I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and hope you are on the mend!
– Kelly