Easy Spiced Carrot Lentil Soup
I don’t make a ton of creamy soups because I didn’t grow up eating them. But this spiced carrot and lentil soup recipe is one that I adore! I made this recently at the farm for my husband and my in-laws and it was absolutely delicious! It was super easy to make, by the way. My good friend Bud was there—and if you’ve been with me for a while, you know he has a sophisticated palate—and he was delighted with the soup! In fact, everyone wanted the recipe!
This soup is enjoyable any time, but I love it especially as a starter for my Easter dinner. Mark your calendars for National Carrot Day on April 4th if you’d like an annual excuse to make this easy soup recipe! The flavor combination of turmeric and maple syrup was lovely, and the overall creaminess of the soup was so satisfying. I cannot stop raving about how yummy it was! Hands down, I would make this again!
Can you make this soup vegetarian or low-calorie?
Yes! This soup recipe is vegetarian because it uses vegetable stock but it’s actually a vegan soup recipe if you omit the yogurt garnish! It’s great when you’re entertaining a crowd with different food preferences—one less dietary restriction to worry about! To keep the calories down, I like to use canned lite coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk. There is no compromise in flavor or creaminess! I’d leave the guests to garnish the soup themselves so that they can skip the yogurt garnish if they’re vegan or lactose intolerant.
Can you freeze carrot and lentil soup?
Yes you can, and it freezes wonderfully! This coconut-based soup freezes much better than dairy-based soups. Have you ever reheated a frozen soup that has milk or cream in it, and it looked curdled in the pot? That’s because there is a lot of water content in milk that crystallizes during the freezing process and breaks down during reheating. Those darn ice crystals! This soup, on the other hand, will be just as rich and creamy after you reheat it—which means you can even make a double batch and freeze half!
What kind of lentils are best for carrot soup?
But aromatic spices aren’t the only thing that makes a recipe good—in my opinion, food is better when it looks pretty, too. That’s why I recommend using pink lentils instead of brown, green, or any other variety. I would NOT recommend using substitutions for this recipe since you’d sacrifice that gorgeous color.
How to Garnish Your Carrot and Lentil Soup
You can garnish the soup with a little swirl of Greek yogurt, a couple of mint sprigs, and a few pomegranate arils to make it look restaurant quality. Yum!
More Recipes with Carrots
If you’re falling in love with fresh carrots this spring, make sure to check out some of these other yummy carrot recipes too!
Easy Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup Recipe
This creamy spiced carrot and lentil soup recipe is packed with flavor, including a hint of sweetness from maple syrup. Coconut milk makes it velvety smooth, while turmeric, cinnamon, and smoked paprika give it a warm depth. It freezes great, too!
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a medium stock pot, heat the olive oil on medium low. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, on medium low heat for approximately 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent.
- Add all of the cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and tomato paste. Stir to combine. Add the carrots, the coconut milk, and 5 cups of stock.
- Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer for 5 minutes to soften the carrots.
- Add the red lentils. Stir to combine. Cover the pot and simmer on medium-low heat for approximately 20 minutes. The carrots should be soft and the lentils fully cooked. Most of the liquid will be absorbed by the lentils, but don’t fret. After you puree the soup, you can add as much of the remaining stock as you need.
- Puree the soup in batches in a food processor or blender. Alternatively, you can puree the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender. If the soup is too thick for your taste, just add some or all of the remaining 1 cup of stock.
- Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more maple syrup if desired. If you’ve used a salt-free or low-salt stock, you may need to add a little more salt to taste.
- Serve the soup with any or all of the optional garnishes and enjoy!
