Quick Thai Red Lentil Soup

This Thai red curry flavoured Red Lentil soup is unbelievably delicious!! Quick, inexpensive, and cosy, I'm pretty sure this is the most exciting lentil recipe you'll make this year. :)

For transparency - it's not authentic, there is no such thing as lentil soup or curry in Thailand. But red curry paste is a flavour powerhouse, lentils are brilliant flavour sponges, and together they make a creamy, comforting soup that is packed full of flavour - fast!

Highly recommend roti or paratha for dunking, those flaky layers are the perfect mop for thick soups like this. Buy frozen ones - they are at Coles and Woolies (Australia) - and super handy, they are pan fried from frozen in just a few minutes.

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Quick Thai Red Lentil Soup

2 tbsp virgin coconut oil (unrefined), or any other coconut or plain oil
1/2 cup Thai red curry paste (115g), 1 whole can of my favourite Maesri!
1 tbsp each finely grated garlic and ginger
1 1/2 cups dried split red lentils, or other dried lentils (see note)
600g / 1.2 lb butternut pumpkin (optional) (US: butternut squash), or regular pumpkin, peeled, cut into 1.5cm / 0.6" cubes (~3 cups), or sweet potato (See note)
400ml/ 14 oz can coconut cream, full fat (Note 5)
2 cups vegetable stock, low sodium (if using homemade, add 1/2 tsp salt)
2 1/2 cups water
2 tsp fish sauce (better) or 3 tsp soy sauce (for vegetarian)
1 tightly packed cup baby spinach or kale leaves, leafy part of Asian greens
FOR SERVING:
Lime wedges (must! Else stir in 1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar at start of simmer time)
2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander / cilantro leaves (highly recommended), sliced chilli and crispy shallot (optional)
Roti (best! Per video), naan, flatbread or even crusty bread – something for dunking!

1. Take out 1 tbsp coconut cream and whisk with a little milk to thin – use for drizzling bowls later.
2. Melt coconut oil on medium heat, cook off curry paste, garlic and ginger 5 min. Add coconut, fish sauce, stock, water and lentils, bring to simmer on high then reduce to medium or medium high so it’s simmering gently. Simmer 5 min. Add pumpkin, simmer 15 min. Lentils should be soft and broken down to form a creamy soup. If too thick, add a splash of hot water.
3. Serve with coconut drizzle and garnishes of choice. Squeezer over lime before digging in!


NOTES:
Split red lentils – These cook the fastest out of dried lentil varieties and break down into a creamy soup without the need to blitz. Split yellow lentils are similar but take about 5 minutes longer. Whole green, brown or red lentils will take about 30 – 40 min so add more water as needed and you’ll need to partially blend to achieve the same texture pictured. Add butternut pumpkin in partway through cooking – needs 15 min (much longer and it gets overly soft). Don’t use puy lentils (French lentils) as these stay firm when cooked. Recipe not designed for canned lentils.
If using sweet potato, add in at start of simmer time as they take longer to cook.

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