This Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas is filling, nourishing and super easy to prepare. There’s a delicious base flavoured with roasted red pepper, vegetable stock and coconut milk. The fibre rich lentils and chickpeas give it body, along with kale. Plus, this easy red lentil soup is vegan, gluten free and dairy free! What’s not to love?
This Curried Red Lentil Lentil Soup recipe was originally posted in January 2017, but has been updated with new pics, text and more recipe details.
Guys, can you believe that it’s almost May 1st? Holy moly! I was flipping through my planner the other day and was shocked to see how fast the year is going. I know what you may be thinking.
‘Paper planner, Dawn?’ Yes, I use an old school planner with the little monthly tabs, a section for notes and all that stuff.
Nothing like putting stuff on paper. Writing it down…holding the planner in my hands…sticking my nose in the middle of it and taking a sniff. What? Did I just say that? What is it about the smell of paper? Especially in a book. Don’t even get me started, lol!
Despite almost being May 1st, it’s still very much not so spring-like around here just yet. With rain/freezing rain/snow in the forecast this week, I’m still devouring all kinds of comfort food, like this red lentil chickpea soup!
How to Make Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas
This red curry lentil and chickpea soup is one of my hands down favourite soups. It’s just super relishing and warming to the belly and soul. Deep, I know. But it is really good! To make this red lentil chickpea soup (in one pot, may I add) simply –
- Heat some coconut oil in a large pot.
- Add onion and cook until softened.
- To onion, add garlic and cook for just a minute.
- Stir in curry paste (or powder), chili flakes, salt and pepper.
- To pot, add red peppers, broth and coconut milk. Blitz with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add drained chickpeas, simmer and cook 15 minutes (longer if you want a little less bite in those chickpeas).
- To pot, add red lentils and cook 5 minutes.
- Next goes kale and cook 5-8 minutes.
- Portion, garnish and enjoy!
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Do I Need to Soak Red Lentils?
Nope! Red Lentils are so small, no soaking is required. I would, however, recommend picking over and rinsing before using in this soup. Lentils can have ‘rocks’ or foreign bits and you definitely don’t want those floating around in your delicious pot of soup!
How Do You Cook Red Lentils?
Dried red lentils require only a little bit of cooking time. 10 minutes is typically sufficient. When they’re tender, but not totally gone to mush, they’re good to go.
Tips & Variations
I like to leave the chickpeas with a little bite. If you like them on the softer side, add a little more stock (1/2 cup or so) and cook a little longer until it’s how you like it before adding the red lentils.
Don’t have curry paste on hand? Use curry powder! You may need to add a little more salt as the curry paste has salt, but curry powder doesn’t.
Like things more spicy? Add in more chili flakes or freshly minced hot pepper. Or, drizzle sriracha over top when serving.
Use baby spinach or swiss chard instead of kale. If using baby spinach, add during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. They take less time to cook that hearty kale leaves.
A squeeze of lime or lemon over top when serving is delish!
I prefer to use ‘full fat’ coconut milk here. It really adds a creaminess and rich coconut flavour to the broth.
‘Unsalted’ vegetable broth was used here. If you use anything otherwise, then taste before adding any additional seasoning.
This curried red lentil soup makes for a lovely meal prep recipe for the week ahead! You can easily double the recipe and freeze some for later too.
Enjoy this Easy Vegan Soup? You May Enjoy These Too –
- Curried Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup – With plenty of nutritious carrots and sweet potato, this vibrant soup is creamy, yummy and easy to prepare.
- Celery Root Soup – With celeriac (and other root veggies), this hearty soup will warm ya up on a cold day! So delicious!
- Spiced Lentil Stew with Sweet and Sour Cauliflower from Rhubarbarians – A flavourful and hearty meal any day of the week!
Hope you love this super nourishing soup as much as we do!
Until next time, take care and chit chat again soon.
~Dawn
P.S. If you think this (delicious) curried red lentil soup will make your belly happy too, please be sure to hit that little Pin button. Many thanks, you guys! XO
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Curried Red Lentil Soup with Chickpeas & Kale
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 onion -thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic -minced
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp curry paste -or curry powder (see note below)
- 1/2 tsp salt -or to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 roasted red peppers -roughly chopped
- 4-5 cups vegetable broth -‘unsalted’
- 400 ml coconut milk – I used (and prefer) ‘full fat’
- 19 oz can chickpeas -rinsed and drained (preferably ‘unsalted’ variety)
- 1/2 cup dried red lentils -rinsed, picked over & drained
- 3-4 cups kale -leaves removed from steam and chopped into bite sized pieces (loosely packed)
- cilantro -garnish, optional
- chili pepper -garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a medium sized pot or dutch oven over medium heat, melt coconut oil. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add chili flakes, curry paste, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- To onion mixture, add roasted red peppers, 4 cups of vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir to combine. Blitz with an immersion blender to make smooth.
- Add chickpeas to pot and bring to a medium simmer for about 15-20 minutes with cover ajar (see ‘Recipe Notes below’).
- Add lentils and cook about 5 minutes. Add kale and cook an additional 5-8 minutes until red lentils are tender. Portion in bowls and garnish with cilantro and chili (if using). Enjoy!
Notes
- I like to leave the chickpeas with a little bite. If you like them on the softer side, add a little more stock (1/2 cup or so) and cook a little longer until it’s how you like it before adding the red lentils.
- Don’t have curry paste on hand? Use curry powder! You may need to add a little more salt as the curry paste has salt, but curry powder doesn’t.
- Like things more spicy? Add in more chili flakes or freshly minced hot pepper. Or, drizzle sriracha over top when serving.
- Use baby spinach or swiss chard instead of kale. If using baby spinach, add during the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. They take less time to cook that hearty kale leaves.
- A squeeze of lime or lemon over top when serving is delish!
- I prefer to use ‘full fat’ coconut milk here. It really adds a creaminess and rich coconut flavour to the broth.
- ‘Unsalted’ vegetable broth was used here. If you use anything otherwise, then taste before adding any additional seasoning.
- This curried red lentil soup makes for a lovely meal prep recipe for the week ahead! You can easily double the recipe and freeze some for later too.
Nutrition (estimate only)
