Carrot and red lentil soup with creamy coconut and a crispy chickpea topping. Hearty and easy to make. This soup really hits the spot and has several delicious toppings to really take it over the top with flavor.
Why Make This Carrot and Lentil Soup
This soup is creamy, dairy free and full of deep flavors from spices and coconut milk. It's hearty, warming and nourishing. You can use any color of lentils but the red gives it a specific bright color. This soup is totally heart healthy and easy to whip up. Perfect for meal prep, it keeps for a bit and can be frozen in the freezer.
This soup is thick, you can easily make it thinner if you prefer a more runny texture, but I love the thickness to this soup.
Ingredients Needed
- Lentils. Any color of lentils will work, I noticed red are some what harder to find and can be slightly more expensive for whatever reason, so you can use any color of lentils. I like the red because it gives a great color.
- Carrots. Carrots are the perfect earthy sweetness for this soup. They give off a great color and they taste great with the lentils. Carrots offer vitamin K and lots of antioxidants.
- Onions. I use yellow onion, it's the cheapest and most mild.
- Garlic. Garlic cloves give a great flavor and are good for the heart.
- Tomato Paste. This brings out the flavor and adds a bit os acidity to the soup.
- Chicken or Veggie Broth. Either will work. I typically use chicken broth for extra flavor and nutritional benefits but veggie broth is just as tasty.
- Coconut Milk. You will want full fat coconut milk, it stand up the best in this carrot and lentil soup. The coconut milk really adds a creamy sweetness. You can find this in the international aisle at your grocery store.
- Seasoning. This is the important part to flavor the soup! You will need turmeric, cinnamon, curry powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and cumin.
- Chickpeas. I use canned, drained and rinsed. These will be in the bean aisle at the store, they are my favorite roasted up and crisped.
- Cilantro. this is a fresh garnish that brightens the soup, this is optional.
How To Make This Recipe
Step One. Set the oven to 400º. Roughly chop the onions, carrots and garlic. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot on medium /high heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the heated oil, sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste.
Step Two. Mix the paste in with the veggies then add in all the seasonings. Let them brown a little in the pan for about 2 minutes. Then pour in the broth and lentils. Bring to a slow simmer for about 25 minutes.
Step Three. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, pat them dry on a paper towel. place them flat on a cooking sheet, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Roast them for about 20 -25 minutes (while the soup is cooking on the stove) until they are browned and toasted. Be sure to shake the pan every 10 minutes to ensure even roasting.
Step Four. Once the lentils are softened and cooked down and there is less liquid, add the coconut milk. Add the mixture to a high speed blender or use an immersion blender to mix up the soup and smooth it out. If you want to keep it chunky you certainly can! I have had it both ways and I like them both! But the creamy texture is so comforting.
Top The Soup With Garnish
Step Five. Bring the soup to a light simmer again. Turn off the heat and serve. I like to top mine with a little sour cream or leftover coconut cream. I also top mine with my Chili Onion Crunch (I highly recommend this!). Top the soup with cilantro and the crispy chickpeas and enjoy!
FAQ's & Tips
You do not have to blend this soup, you can leave it chunky and more soupy if you'd prefer it's wonderful both ways!
Yes, use any lentil color you have access to, the red lentil gives it the most vibrant color but it will taste the same regardless.
The carrots really add an earthy flavor and a wonderful color. You can skip them, however I love them in this soup.
Make Ahead and Storage Tips
This recipe is great to make ahead of time, just take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before warming up on the stovetop on low heat. Bringing it to room temperature helps speed things up.
To store any leftovers, add soup to a ziplock or a sealed container and freeze for up to 2 months or store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan over medium/low heat.
Recipe Pairings
There are so many wonderful things to pair with this soup. It's light but filling, however I like to pair it with a grilled cheese or my Crispy Chicken Wrap. I also love a great salad to pair with this soup like my Vegan Kale Caesar Salad or Kale And Beet Salad.
Recipe Variations
Lentils. I prefer red for the color, but use any color of lentils you would like.
Carrots. You can skip the carrots if you would like, the carrots offer color and flavor.
Crispy Chickpeas. You can also use toasted seeds or walnuts in place of the chickpeas.
Coconut Milk. If you want a lighter soup, you can use lite coconut milk, it won't be as rich but still delightful.
Other Warming Soups To Enjoy
If you loved this recipe let me know! Also, follow me on Instagram & Pinterest for even more fun recipes to make you feel good from the inside out. Thanks for being here!
Carrot and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1¼ cup red lentils
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil *separated
- 1 can full fat coconut milk *see notes
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth 1-32 oz box plus 1 can
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt more to taste
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp paprika
Toppings
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3-4 tbsp sour cream *optional
- 3-4 tsp Chili Onion Crunch *optional
Instructions
- Set the oven to 400º. Roughly chop the onions, carrots and garlic. Heat oil in a dutch oven or large pot on medium /high heat. Add the onions, garlic and carrots to the heated oil, sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the tomato paste.
- Mix the paste in with the veggies then add in all the seasonings. Let them brown a little in the pan for about one minute. Pour in the broth and lentils. Bring to a slow simmer for about 25 minutes.
- Rinse and drain the chickpeas, pat them dry on a paper towel. Place them flat on a cooking sheet, drizzle with oil, salt and pepper. Roast them for about 20 -25 minutes (while the soup is cooking on the stove) until they are browned and toasted. Be sure to shake the pan every 10 minutes to ensure even roasting.
- Once the lentils are softened, cooked down and there is less liquid, add the coconut milk. Add the mixture to a high speed blender or use an immersion blender to mix up the soup and smooth it out. If you want to keep it chunky you certainly can, I have had it both ways and I like them both. But the creamy texture is so comforting.
- Bring the soup to a light simmer again. Turn off the heat and serve. I like to top mine with a little sour cream or leftover coconut milk. I also top mine with my Chili Onion Crunch (I highly recommend this!). Top the soup with cilantro and the crispy chickpeas and enjoy!
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