Curried Lentil Soup Recipe

Curried Lentil Soup

by Allison Ehri Kreitler
One Star Two Stars Three Stars Four Stars Five Stars read reviews (5)

Serves 4 Yields about 1 quart.

Make-Ahead: Can be completely prepared ahead (may need reheating and a garnish to serve) Quick: Takes 30 minutes or less, start to finish Vegetarian: May contain eggs and dairy ingredients Test Kitchen Guaranteed: All recipes that run in Fine Cooking magazine are thoroughly tested in our test kitchen
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ingredient discovery
Ingredients brown lentils parsnips Madras-style curry powder more more
1 large clove garlic
1 piece (1/3 inch long) peeled fresh ginger
1/2 small bulb fennel, cored and cut into large chunks, or 1 small rib celery, cut into large chunks
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small parsnip, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 large shallot, cut in half
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 qt. homemade or lowsalt canned chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper; more as needed

Pulse the garlic and ginger in a food processor until chopped. Add the fennel or celery, carrot, parsnip, and shallot and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter in a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook, stirring, until the curry powder is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the lentils, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a brisk simmer, cover, and cook until the lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Transfer 1-1/2 cups of the soup to a blender or a food processor and purée until smooth. Stir the purée back into the soup along with the remaining 1 Tbs. butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency with water, if you like.

Serving Suggestions

Garnish with a dollop of plain whole-milk yogurt and chopped fresh mint or cilantro, or both.

nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on four servings; Calories (kcal): 330; Fat (g): 11; Fat Calories (kcal): 100; Saturated Fat (g): 6; Protein (g): 19; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 3; Carbohydrates (g): 43; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1; Sodium (mg): 320; Cholesterol (mg): 25; Fiber (g): 14;
photo: Scott Phillips
From Fine Cooking 83 , pp. 82
January 1, 2007

user reviews

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Star Star Star Star Star by doogieboy, 2/18/2012This is so delicious. I couldn't stop eating it the first time I made it and had to walk out of the kitchen. My family loves it, too. I am making my second batch right now, one week after the first. It is restaurant-worthy. I used fennel, not celery, and I recommend it highly. It adds a great flavor. I doubled the recipe, too, which is a no-brainer, because you use a whole fennel bulb and a whole package of lentils. If you like lentil soup, this is the TOPS.
Star Star Star Star Star by Greenmeagsnham, 11/7/2011This soup is absolutely mouth watering. I was so happy with the results. I tweaked the recipe slightly by doubling it then adding 6 small lamb chops which I had braised with the chopped vegetables. The result was a perfectly balanced and flavourful meal, since the curry complemented the lamb perfectly. I'm finishing the last of my pot today and immediately making another one tonight for lunch!
Star Star Star Star Star by milli11, 8/6/2011This lentil soup is easy and a delicious winter soup that freezes well. The kitchen smells wonderful when you're making it. It is simply the best lentil soup ever!!!
Star Star Star Star Star by Mamashi, 1/12/2010Really easy and tasty!
Star Star Star Star Star by mamaj, 11/7/2008Delicious and super easy to prepare. I used my own curry spice blend, but I am sure any good quality blend would be equally tasty.