This red lentil coconut soup is a warm and comforting soup with red lentils, vegetables, and coconut milk and a touch of chili heat. It’s a satisfying and flavorful soup that stores well and is ready in less than 40 minutes. This vegan and gluten free soup is the perfect recipe to try if you’re looking for a lentil soup, easy soup recipe, or dairy free soup.
If you’re looking for more delicious soup recipes, try this creamy broccoli soup or this miso corn soup!
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I am a huge fan of lentils as a plant-based protein because they are so versatile! In this coconut soup, the lentils offer a huge serving of protein in one easy meal.
The end result is a creamy and comforting soup that can be paired with crusty bread or rice. It’s a great alternative to my roasted red pepper soup and offers a little heat with each bite.
While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss my tips further down and the step-by-step instructions with pictures!
PrintRed Lentil Coconut Soup
This red lentil coconut soup is creamy, cozy, and packed with flavor! An easy, plant-based recipe perfect for a warming weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 40
- Yield: 5-6 1x
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
1 medium/150g yellow onion, diced
1 rib/75g celery, diced
1 medium/75g carrot, peeled and diced
1 medium/40g jalapeno, minced
2 cloves/10g garlic, minced
1”/1 tbsp/20g fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp/30ml olive oil, divided
2 tbsp/30g tomato paste
1 tsp/2g ground cumin
1 tsp/2g ground turmeric
1 tsp/6g salt, divided
1 cup/170g split red lentils, rinsed
4 cups/940ml vegetable broth
1 cup/235ml coconut milk
1–2 tbsp/15-30ml lemon juice
Cilantro, to garnish
Instructions
Peel and dice onion and carrot. Dice celery. Make sure they are finely diced to cook quickly.
Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Mince the jalapeno. For lower spice, remove the seeds and veins.
Heat 2 tbsp/30g olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until onion is translucent and vegetables are beginning to soften.
Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the cumin, turmeric, tomato paste, and ½ tsp/3g salt (depending on salt content of broth, see notes). Stir to coat everything.
Add the lentils. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring to scrape everything off the bottom of the pot.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are very soft.
Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Stir in chopped cilantro to taste.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is a soup that freezes well for meal prep purposes.
Ingredients and Substitutions For This Red Lentil Coconut Soup
How To Make Red Lentil Coconut Soup
This is quite an easy recipe to make, as most of it is cutting up veggies and letting the soup cook. Here is the entire recipe with pictures of key steps.
Peel and dice onion and carrot. Dice celery. Make sure they are finely diced to cook quickly.
Peel and mince the ginger and garlic. Mince the jalapeno. For lower spice, remove the seeds and veins.
Heat 2 tbsp/30g olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring regularly, until onion is translucent and vegetables are beginning to soften.
Add the ginger, garlic, and jalapeno. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
Add the cumin, turmeric, tomato paste, and ½ tsp/3g salt (depending on salt content of broth, see notes). Stir to coat everything.
Add the lentils. Slowly pour in the broth, stirring to scrape everything off the bottom of the pot.
Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils and vegetables are very soft.
Remove from heat and add the coconut milk and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Stir in chopped cilantro to taste.
Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This is a soup that freezes well for meal prep purposes.
Stacie’s Tips
Salt: The amount of extra salt required will depend on the saltiness of your vegetable broth. Homemade broths will typically require extra salt added. The broth used in this recipe is Better than Bouillon Vegetable base.
Jalapeno: Commercially produced jalapenos can have very different spice intensities. Test a tiny bit of yours when chopping to determine whether you should leave out the seeds or not. For more spice, use a serrano chile instead.
More Hearty Soups
Sweet Potato Lentil Stew– While technically a stew and not a soup, this sweet potato lentil stew still deserves a place here. It’s heart, full of protein, and tastes incredible. It is vegan, gluten free, and soy free.
Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup– A comforting, hearty meal that works beautifully as a comfort soup recipe. With tender wild rice, sautéed mushrooms, and a thick, chowder-style broth, this vegan and gluten free main dish soup delivers richness without dairy, nuts, or soy.
