Coconut Red Lentil Soup

Hello, friends!

Last night I made a really tasty soup adapted from this recipe, but I feel that mine turned out so delicious that I felt obligated to share it with you. Not everyone is a fan of Indian food, and this recipe is for those that love it.

Ingredients:
1T cooking oil
2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
3/4t cinnamon
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & chopped into very little chunks
2T fresh ginger, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2t salt
1t sugar
1 small can tomato paste
4 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1 cup uncooked red lentils
1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed
the juice from one half of a lime
fresh cilantro & lime wedges for serving

Instructions:
1. Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the curry powder and cinnamon and cook, stirring often, until the spices are fragrant (~2 minutes).
2. Add the onion and cook until they begin to soften, followed by the carrots, ginger, & garlic. Cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the salt, and tomato paste, cooking for a couple minutes more.
3. Pour in the water, coconut milk, lentils, and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Cook uncovered for 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
4. At the very end, stir in the lime juice. Adjust seasonings accordingly (I added 1T of chicken bouillon). Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges, if desired. Naan bread makes an excellent side to this wonderful soup.

Enjoy! It was delish. Even my cook of a husband gave several satisfying grunts of approval. Ok, he used actual words to describe it. He's not quite so Neanderthal as that.