Curried Roasted Carrot Lentil Soup

This soup is so yummy!

Think of a carrot - ginger - coconut flavor profile, and then amp it up 300%.

The key ingredients are roasted carrots and Thai red curry paste.

Roasting the carrots caramelizes their natural sugars, which really enhances their flavor.

And as you may know, Thai red curry paste is an intensely delicious ingredient.

When pureed together and transferred to the soup, they thicken the broth and multiply its tastiness.

Give this one a try and let me know what you think...

I bet it'll become one of your favorites!

Quick note: I usually photograph my recipes in great detail, so you can see what every step looks like. This time, however, I made you a video instead. Watch it above for more visuals of the whole process.

Ingredients

• 7 medium carrots, peeled
• 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 medium red onion
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (1 Tbsp)
• 1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium vegetable stock
• 4 cups water, divided
• ½ cup brown rice
• 1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup urad dal (split black lentils), rinsed and drained (or sub ½ cup more red lentils)
• 1½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
• ¼ cup canned coconut milk (full-fat or lite, your choice)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Peel the carrots, place them on the prepared baking sheet, brush them lightly with about 1 tsp of olive oil, and then sprinkle them with salt.

Roast the carrots in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, turning them over once half-way through.

As the carrots roast, dice the onion, and mince the garlic and ginger.

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a large soup pot.

Add the onion and give it a stir.

When the onion begins to soften, add the minced garlic and ginger. Sprinkle with salt, stir again, and sauté until the onions begin to brown (caramelize).

Pour 1 quart of low-sodium vegetable stock into the pot, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

Once the soup is boiling, add the brown rice. Stir. Cover the pot, and lower the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

While the rice gets a head start, rinse and drain the 1 cup of red lentils and ½ cup of urad dal (or alternatively, if you're skipping the urad dal, then use 1½ cups of red lentils). Continue rinsing and draining the lentils until the rinse water runs clear.

After the rice has cooked alone for 20 minutes, add the rinsed lentils to the pot.

Add 1½ tsp of salt and ½ tsp of black pepper.

Stir, cover the pot, and then set a timer for another 20 minutes.

Probably around this time, the carrots will have finished roasting.

You'll be able to tell because they'll be soft enough that the point of a knife penetrates easily, and they're lightly browned.

Pull them out of the oven and let them cool until they're safe to handle.

Transfer the roasted carrots to a cutting board. Trim away and discard the ends, and then chop them roughly into 1-inch pieces.

Transfer the chopped carrots to a blender.

Add 3 Tbsp of Thai red curry paste and 2 cups of water.

Blend the carrots, curry paste, and water into a smooth puree. If you need to, you can add extra water.

Pour the puree into the soup pot and stir it in.

When the 20-minute timer goes off on the lentils, drizzle in ¼ cup of coconut milk, and stir it into the soup.

Taste the soup (carefully... it's hot!) to make sure the lentils and rice are fully cooked. If they don't taste entirely done, continue cooking a few minutes more, and then check again.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste, if necessary.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls and enjoy!

If you try this recipe and love it, please share a photo on social media and tag me @greensagelife. I would love to see what you create and cheer you on! 😀