Curried Lentil Soup – Connoisseurus Veg

This curried lentil soup is healthy, hearty, and delicious! Easy to make and packed with flavor, it’s perfect when you’re craving a big bowl of comfort for dinner. Naturally vegan and gluten-free!

I always keep a couple bags of lentils in the pantry, especially during the cooler months. I know I can easily whip up a hearty dinner when I’ve got lentils on hand, and soup is generally the easiest way to make that happen.

That’s probably why I’ve got so many lentil soup recipes on this site.

This curried lentil soup has been in regular rotation since I first created the recipe a couple of months ago. It’s one of the most comforting and flavorful soups in my arsenal, and I generally have most of the ingredients on hand. It’s also pretty easy to make, and can be made on the stove OR in the Instant Pot.

I adapted the recipe from my classic lentil soup recipe, but instead of seasoning it with savory herbs, I went with a blend of curry powders. I also swapped out the celery for a potato, which makes the soup extra hearty.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Olive oil. Feel free to substitute another high heat oil if you prefer. Peanut oil, coconut oil, and canola oil will all work.
• Onion.
• Carrots.
• Garlic.
• Ginger.
• Spices. We’re using a mix of mild curry powder, garam masala, and ground cumin. Add some cayenne pepper as well if you’d like your soup extra spicy!
• Vegetable broth.
• Lentils. We’re using dried brown lentils. Feel free to substitute another variety such as red lentils or green lentils, keeping in mind that you may need to adjust the cook time and amount of liquid in the recipe.
• Potato. The recipe calls for a plain old russet potato, but a couple of red or gold potatoes could also be used. Sweet potatoes would even work!
• Canned diced tomatoes.
• Coconut milk. This adds some richness and makes our curried lentil soup extra creamy. We’re using full-fat coconut milk from a can. If you’d like to reduce the fat and calorie content of the soup, simply substitute light coconut milk, or leave it out altogether.
• Salt & pepper.

How It’s Made

The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!

• Heat your oil in a large pot, then add diced onion and sliced carrots. Sweat the onion and carrots for a few minutes, giving the mixture a stir here and there to prevent burning.
• Once the onion and carrots have softened a bit, add the garlic, ginger, and spices. Sauté everything briefly, until the mixture becomes very flavorful.

• Stir in the broth, lentils, and potatoes. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and let the soup simmer until the lentils are softened a bit, but note quite fully cooked.
• As the soup simmers the liquid will evaporate. Just add some water if you need to.

Tip: Keep a container of hot water nearby so you can add it to the soup when it’s needed without cooling it down. Better yet — keep a kettle on the stove for this purpose!

• Stir in the tomatoes and coconut milk, then let your soup continue simmering until the lentils are soft and the carrots are tender.

Tip: Feel free to let your soup continue to simmer beyond the time specified in the recipe. The lentils will continue to soften and eventually fall apart.

• Take your curry lentil soup off of heat and season it with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Tip: A sprinkle of fresh cilantro makes a great topping for this soup.

Variation: Instant Pot Method

Prefer to make your soup in the Instant Pot? Easy! You’ll just need to sauté your veggies, spices, and aromatics briefly, then cook the soup on high pressure for 15 minutes. Full instructions can be found within the recipe card below!

Leftovers & Reheating

Leftover curried lentil soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Your soup can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. Thin it with a bit of water if it gets too thick during storage.

More Lentil Soups & Stews

Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!

Curried Lentil Soup

This curried lentil soup is healthy, hearty, and delicious! Easy to make and packed with flavor, it’s perfect when you’re craving a big bowl of comfort for dinner. Naturally vegan and gluten-free!

Ingredients

• 1
  tablespoon
  olive oil
• 1
  medium onion,
  diced
• 2
  medium carrots,
  sliced
• 4
  garlic cloves,
  minced
• 1 ½
  teaspoons
  freshly grated ginger
• 2
  teaspoons
  mild curry powder
• 1
  teaspoon
  garam masala
• 1
  teaspoon
  ground cumin
• Pinch
  cayenne pepper,
  optional, or to taste
• 1 ½
  cups
  dried brown lentils
• 6
  cups
  vegetable broth (Note 1)
• 1
  medium russet potato,
  scrubbed and cut into ¾ inch pieces
• 1
  (14 ounce or 400 gram) can
  diced tomatoes
• ½
  cup
  full-fat coconut milk
• Salt and pepper,
  to taste

Instructions

Stove Top Method

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.

2. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and carrots. Sweat the vegetables for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.

3. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne pepper if using. Sauté the mixture for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.

4. Stir in the lentils, broth and potato. Raise the heat and bring the liquid to a boil.

5. Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer until the lentils have softened quite a bit but are not yet fully cooked, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Note 2)

6. Stir in the tomatoes and coconut milk. Let the soup continue simmering for about 10 minutes, until the lentils and potato are soft.

7. Remove the pot from heat and season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Instant Pot Method

1. Press the “sauté” button on your Instant Pot then add the oil.

2. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion and carrot. Sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften.

3. Add the garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala, cumin and cayenne pepper, if using. Sauté the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Press the “cancel” button.

4. Stir in 4 ½ cups of broth, along with the lentils, potato, and tomatoes.

5. Place the lid on your Instant Pot and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Press the “pressure cook” or “manual” button and set the pressure to high. Set the soup to cook for 15 minutes.

6. When the soup has finished cooking, carefully move the valve to the “venting” position. Let the pressure release completely.

7. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Stir in the coconut milk and thin the soup with additional broth, if desired. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Recipe Notes

1. Less broth may be needed if you make this in the Instant Pot.
2. I recommend keeping a kettle or container of hot water near the stove so you can add water to the soup if the broth reduces too much.

Nutrition Facts

Curried Lentil Soup

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)

Calories 315
Calories from Fat 72

% Daily Value*

Fat 8g12%

Saturated Fat 4.7g24%

Sodium 617mg26%

Potassium 877mg25%

Carbohydrates 42.2g14%

Fiber 17.6g70%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 14.6g29%

Calcium 60mg6%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.