Hurry The Food Up Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes For Busy People
Summer is here – and we need this recipe. Salads can be great, but we’re often left begging for more. That’s where coconut curry lentil soup steps up.
It keeps that summer spirit high with its fusion of tropical coconut and smooth curry, complementing it with a juicy multivitamin twist.
We’ve tried many lentil soups in our time, both coconut and otherwise. The biggest danger is overcooking the veg and leaving yourself with a collection of limp, dejected green beans when you should have tasty fresh veg with a satisfying bite. We’ve devised a solution to make sure that doesn’t happen to you.
Coconut Curry Lentil Soup – Beating the System
No matter how tempting it is, DO NOT throw all your vegetables in at the beginning! Yes, we know it’s enticing, and we know it seems like you’ll save time, but it’s really not worth it.
This soup is already incredibly simple, and what makes it so successful is that resistant crunch as you take your first bite. So do yourself a favour, and hold the veggies back until you get the nod.
It’s easy too – we use a timer system to get the soup perfect. Just start a timer on your phone as you begin cooking and you won’t go wrong.
Protein Power
Coconut curry lentil soup shouldn’t be underestimated for its nutritional prowess either. Lentils pack a protein punch, and are rammed with all-important fiber, too.
In fact, so many of us don’t get enough fiber in our diets (according to Harvard) and it’s an issue we really need to focus on. Lentils are an extreme help in that regard.
The high fiber levels also mean you’ll keep feeling full for longer, too.
Of course, anything that involves sweet potatoes, multivitamin juice, bell peppers and sugar snaps (or green beans) is going to be a nutritional powerhouse. And if it tastes great? Well, that’s just a bonus!
If you need or want more detailed information on protein, please go here for your free high-protein guide (including detailed meal plans and shopping lists). We’re happy to answer any questions you might have.
Creamy Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup brown lentils, dried (25 mins is standard cooking time, 1 ¼ cups = 300g)
- 2 ⅓ cup vegetable broth
- 1 ¼ cup multivitamin juice (the normal drinking stuff, something like ‘tropical fruit juice’)
- 1 can coconut milk (1 can = 450ml)
- 1 bell pepper, red
- 1 cup sugar snap peas (or green beans, 1 cup = 100g, frozen is fine too!)
- 2 red onion
- 1 ½ tsp green curry paste (all colours work well, just check for fish-related ingredients if you’re vegan/veggie)
- 1 tsp sugar (or maple syrup)
- salt and pepper to taste
Optional
- ½ sweet potato (½ potato = 100g)
Instructions
- Heat up the vegetable broth in a large pot, and bring to a boil.
- Chop the sweet potato, red onion and red bell pepper into cubes.
- Add the multivitamin juice, lentils and sweet potato to the pot. Start a timer with 25 minutes.
- Bring the heat down to a simmer.
- Add the coconut milk and red onion, followed by the curry, salt, pepper and sugar.
- After 18 minutes have gone past, add the red pepper cubes.
- After 22 minutes have gone past, add the sugar snap peas / green beans.
- At 25 minutes, everything should be ready! Give the lentils a quick taste to make sure they’re not chewy (give a few mins longer if necessary).
- That’s it, your coconut curry lentil soup is ready!
First time around I used cupful measurment to mean 240mls, so a cup and a quarter in mls is 300 mls. I added 300 mls of multivitamin juice to the soup and the family found it too sweet. This time around I used a measuring cup which measured under 200 mls plus a quarter cup made it 240 mls of juice. This made a huge difference. It was absolutely delicious. It really is essential to follow the timing instructions to keep the veg crunchy. Making alterations to the amount of juice made a huge difference to this meal.