Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

   First off, I have to apologize for the lack of prettiness this post is going to have since I may or may not have been a little lazy (GASP, Me? Never) when making this recipe and didn't take a picture. However, I just knew you all would love this soup so I wanted to share it with you anyways. Besides, lentils have a way of looking unappealing since they are the color of crap. Great image, right?

   I've never made much with lentils as they have always seemed like they required a boatload of spice in recipes in order for them to actually taste halfway decent. And I've always been a big curry fan, but I like to keep that flavor in my specialty repertoire so as not to become complacent with its flavor. Just like any spice or meal, it's good idea to mix it up on a regular basis.

   The great thing about this soup or any soup for that matter is that you can use up a lot of veggies leftover in your fridge and have tons of leftovers either for the week or to freeze. Feel free to mix this recipe up by adding chickpeas, shallots, celery, sweet potatoes or even white beans. But try to keep this soup vegetarian since it contains starches and meats tend to blend together better with vegetables only. However on a side note, this soup would probably taste great with chicken sans the lentils too.

   Initially I made this soup with a little less heat so that I could feed it to my infant son at the same time since I am trying to introduce him to a variety of flavors. But if I were to make it for just my husband and I, I would definitely throw a few solid shakes of crushed red pepper in there. So
go ahead and shake-shake -shake it in till your pretty little taste buds cry for mercy. You may also have to adjust the level of spices here as the quality of ingredients used may vary the taste of the soup a bit. It goes without saying that fresh organic vegetables have more flavor than conventionally grown produce (pesticide free is the way to be!). The shelf life on your spices have a wee bit to do with it too.

Recipe:

1 large Leek or onion equivalent, green and white parts chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 head cauliflower, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
4 Tablesoons Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Sesame Oil or Unrefind Organic Coconut Oil
5 tablespoons Curry Powder
2 cups lentils
8 cups water
2 cup Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk
1 tablespoon ginger
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (frozen or fresh preferably not dried)
Sea Salt to Taste- Avoid if possible but I know how you salt lick junkies are.


Directions:

In a sauté pan, combine 2 tablespoons sesame oil with chopped cauliflower and 2 tablespoons curry powder until soft. Set Aside.

In a separate soup pot, combine leeks, carrots, and tomatoes with 2 Tablesoons sesame oil until soft. Add 8 cups of water and 2 cups of lentils and simmer for 20 minutes. Once lentils are soft, add in cilantro, ginger, and 3 Tablespoons Curry Powder.

 In a blender, purée the cauliflower mixture with 1 cup coconut milk. Add purée mixture to soup pot and add 1 cup coconut milk. Let soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes and then cool before serving.