Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup is short on ingredients but long on flavor. Soothing and simple to make are just two of the reasons to love this warming spicy red lentil soup recipe.
This recipe was originally published in February, 2016.
I love winter. To me, there is nothing better than curling up by a fire with a good book and a steaming bowl of Cock -a Leekie soup or Thai Hot and Sour Soup.
Since I’m including more vegetarian dishes in my planning, soups like this Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup and my White Bean Chowder are easy enough for a weeknight and are flavorful enough to keep my taste buds interested.
And I pretty much always have enough items on hand to make a batch of soup!
Red Lentil Soup FAQ’s
Red lentils are part of the legume family (Lens culinaris or Lens esculenta) The seeds are small, round and flat shaped and grow on annual plants that grow to about 16 inches in height.
One of the best things about red lentils is that you don’t need to soak them and that they cook quickly. One of the things I love about this Indian lentil soup is that it’s ready in about 30 minutes!
This spicy lentil soup is very good for you! It’s low in fat and calories and high in fiber as well as being a good source of protein when served with flatbreads or rice.
How to make Red Lentil Soup:
- Rinse the lentils in several changes of water until the water is clear.
- Saute the garlic and ginger until fragrant.
- Add the onions and spices and saute..
- Add the tomatoes, stock and lentils. Simmer and serve up a delicious bowl of Indian lentil soup!
Tips for making Spicy Lentil Soup:
- To get that “long simmered” flavor in a fraction of the time, cook the lentils separately in vegetable stock! The lentils absorb the flavors of the stock without being overcooked!
- You can make this vegetarian lentil soup ahead of time because it re heats beautifully.
- If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, start with 1/4 of a chile. After sauteeing the onions, taste the mixture and if you’d like more spice, add more chile!
- Definitely don’t skip sauteing the onions and spices and letting them cook on their own. This helps give this Indian lentil soup it’s long simmered flavor!
Now all you need is a fire and a good book!
Other Lentil Soup Recipes you may love:
Spiced Lentil Soup Recipe:
Indian Spiced Red Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup red lentils
- 6 cups vegetable stock divided
- 2 Tablespoons canola oil
- 2 Tablespoons ginger and garlic paste**
- 1 small onion cut into 1/4 inch dice
- 1 fresh serrano chile seeds removed and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- one 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils several times until the water is clear. Transfer the lentils to a small saucepan.
- Add 3 cups of vegetable stock. Over medium heat, bring the lentils to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the lentils are tender the stock has been absorbed.
- Set aside.
- In a large soup pot, heat the 2 Tablespoons canola oil over medium high heat. Add the ginger and garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the onion and saute for 2 – 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the onion. Add the chile and spices and cook for another two the three minutes until the spices are fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to medium low, cover the pan and cook for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are tender.
- Add the canned tomatoes, remaining 3 cups vegetable stock and lentils. Stir to combine.
- Increase the heat to medium high and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes to allow all the flavors to blend.
- ** for the ginger garlic paste, you can purchase ginger garlic paste in indian markets or buy individual containers of ginger paste and garlic paste in your local supermarket. But the easiest thing to do is to add 1/4 cup peeled, chopped ginger and 1/4 cup peeled garlic cloves to a small food processor and process until a paste is formed. Paste will keep about 4 -5 days in the refrigerator.
Hi Nancy! This sounds amazing. I was going to do a butternut & lentil soup this week but I may do this instead. Question: you list 2 TB of ginger and garlic paste – is that a single ingredient, 1 TB each, or a different ratio? I have fresh ginger and fresh garlic as well as gourmet garden paste versions. Thanks!
Hi Rose! It is clear I need a proofreader full time! Definitely need to clarify that one! I actually use a ginger garlic paste that I make and keep in the fridge… hmmm… should probably post about that one, huh??? Yes, it’s one tablespoon of each!!
Can you clarify how you make the “paste” for each?
Hi Mary!! Excellent question! You can buy the paste already made in an indian grocery store but it’s really easy to make. Just combine equal amounts peeled and chopped fresh ginger with peeled garlic cloves in a food processor and process until you have a coarse paste. I generally use about 1/4 cup of each. I add a little vodka to it to extend it’s shelf life in the refrigerator. If you cook a lot of indian and asian dishes, this can save you a lot of time in the kitchen!!
Nancy, this looks so incredibly delicious! Beautiful, too!
Awww… thanks Valentina!! It’s very tasty and quick!!!
Rich and tastes great. Not what I would normally try, so thanks for the inspiration (and amazing photos).
Only a smiling visitor here to share the love (:, btw great style and design .
I just made this using freshly micro planed turmeric, homemade garlic ginger paste, freshly ground cumin & coriander, chopped Roma tomatoes 🍅, a can of full fat coconut 🥥 milk, and tossed in a a good sized bag of baby spinach just before the soup came off the heat. 😋
Hi Stephen! Oh my goodness, I can only imagine how absolutely delicious the soup was – fresh ingredients always make such a big difference! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! I’m even happier that you adapted it to your own tastes – that’s exactly what I hope my readers do!!!