Spicy Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

Low in fat and high in fiber, this red lentil and carrot soup is a great low-calorie meal that is convenient to make. This recipe is a quick, delicious, and healthy lunch or weeknight dinner.

Red lentil soup featured on my childhood dinner menu very frequently in Dublin. I must confess I didn't look forward to lentil soup night. I found red lentil soup to be a little bland.

My mom made it the usual Irish way, with onion, carrot, garlic and red lentils. The whole pot was seasoned with salt and pepper, and even my Irish palate found it a little boring. Sorry Mom!

When I was a young physical therapist in my twenties, I spent a few months working with children in India. My taste buds were transformed in the blink of an eye. Once I tasted Indian spiced red lentil soup, I knew I would never go back to the bland red lentil soup of my Irish childhood.

Don't worry, there are plenty other traditional Irish soups to savor, but my childhood red lentil soup just needed a little kick.

And so today, I'm sharing my version of spiced red lentil and carrot soup. It's brimming over with flavor, and is my favorite lentil soup recipe.

If you skip the yogurt garnish that I use, this soup can be a vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free dinner alternative. You also gain the benefits of all those anti-oxidant rich spices.

Reasons to Love Red Lentils

Lentils are a wonder food in my book. Once you spice them up they're very satisfying. They're a wonder of nature, and ever so nutritious. Packed full of protein, they're a perfect pantry staple.

They're also a good source of fiber, iron and folate. See why I sing the praises of lentils.

When used in soups lentils create a filling meal, chock full of healthy plant-based protein.

Lentils will last for years once stored in an airtight container. In American and Irish grocery stores you mainly find dried split red lentils. I always use split red lentils for this soup.

Avoid using whole dried red lentils, if you happen to find them. They don't tenderize as easily as the split variety.

Plus lentils are extremely inexpensive. If you're watching your pennies then why not add lentil soup to your weeknight dinner menus.

Red lentils break down easily when cooked and are perfect for blitzing or puréeing. They create a creamy, thick soup when blended, with no need for any added dairy or thickening flour.

Ingredients for Red Lentil and Carrot Soup

Here's a list of the ingredients you'll need for this warming, spicy soup. You'll find exact quantities in US and metric equivalents at the bottom of this post in the recipe card.

• cumin seed
• chili powder
• ground coriander
• ground ginger
• olive oil
• onion diced
• split red lentils
• carrots peeled and grated
• vegetable stock
• saltto season
• pepperto season
• plain yogurt to garnish

You can make any additions or substitutions that you like to this basic soup. I only use chopped onion without any garlic, but one or two minced garlic cloves can be added with the onions if you like.

A stick or two of celery is a good addition with the carrots. Wash and chop the celery into small pieces.

A few diced sweet potatoes add a little sweetness to this soup, but I find they change the creamy texture of this red lentil soup.

I don't add any tomato to my red lentil soup, but a tin of chopped tomatoes is a great addition.

I use vegetable broth or vegetable stock to make a vegetarian soup. To make this soup a vegan recipe you can substitute the plain yogurt garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

The spice mix can also be experimented with. I didn't add any turmeric but it's a wonderful healthy addition. If you don't have any chili powder then try it with some cayenne pepper or smoked paprika instead.

Directions for Red Lentil Soup Recipe

Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven medium-high heat. Add the dry spices and cumin seeds to the pot.

Dry fry the spices stirring constantly for 1 minute. The aroma in your kitchen will be amazing as you intensify the spice flavors through this toasting method.

Remove half of the toasted seeds and spices for garnishing the soup, but keep the remainder in the pot.

Add the oil to the pan with the toasted spices and heat for 1 minute over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and brown in the pan for two minutes. The spices will coat the onions as you sauté them both together.

Stir them as they cook to avoid burning and sticking to the bottom of the soup pot.

Add the grated carrot and split red lentils to the onions. Stir them all together.

Add the vegetable broth or stock and bring the soup to boiling point.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. When the soup is ready the lentils will have swollen and softened. They lose their shape when they get tender and are very easy to blend.

Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Blitz the soup using an immersion blender or transfer in batches to a blender to puree.

The texture should be creamy and smooth. The spiciness can be a tasty surprise that compliments the creaminess of this blended soup.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm and garnish with a dollop of plain yogurt and a small sprinkling of toasted spices.

You can substitute any fresh herbs you like to use to garnish soups. Fresh parsley or cilantro are wonderful toppings for this spicy soup.

Storage and Reheating

This soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an air tight container and it will last for 3 to 4 days.

If like me, you live by the old adage of cook once, eat twice, this is a good soup to double the recipe amounts to make sure there are plenty of leftovers.

When you're ready to heat the soup up again, transfer it to a pot. Heat over medium-high heat. Stir it as you reheat it until it starts to bubble.

If it seems a little thick, add some extra vegetable broth to help thin out the soup.

This soup can also be frozen for up to three months in a freezer-safe bag or container. I like to freeze this soup in individual serving sizes, so that I can grab one whenever I need a quick lunch on the go.

I take it out of the freezer and defrost it overnight in the fridge. It can be reheated and trasnferred to a heat proof flask for lunch on the go.

A squeeze of lemon juice can give the reheated soup a nice flavor lift. It seems to reinvigorate the frozen soup.

If I forget to take it out on time for overnight defrosting, I heat it in the microwave from frozen. Simply place the frozen soup block in a microwave safe bowl. Reheat on high in 30-second intervals. Stir the soup between each episode of microwaving and repeat until the soup is completely warm.

Recipe Card for Spicy Red Lentil Soup

Here's a short video summarizing the steps for this delicious, protein-packed soup.

Here's a printable recipe card, if you'd like to add this soup to your kitchen recipe files.

Happy soup making.