Coconut Lentil Soup

A few things I learned making this soup:

1. Fresh coriander just means fresh cilantro.

2. Habanero peppers are harder to find than I thought. So go with serranos if you can’t find them or just add a bunch of spice, which is what I ended up doing.

3. Nobody likes “lentil gruel” which is what my boyfriend called this dish. I just was too lazy to blend some of it up in the blender after making it so it looked less soup like and more bean like.

4.  I added a lot of flavor to dish recipe. I added cayenne peppers, extra cumin, red pepper flake, paprika, thyme, hot sauce, garlic powder and soy sauce.

5. Making the gremolata didn’t happen since I could not find habanero in my grocery store.

Here is the link for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated on a microplane grater
• 1 small habanero or serrano pepper, seeds and ribs removed, flesh finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 pound dry brown lentils
• 3 quarts water or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (12-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, such as Frank’s
• 1/4 cup juice from 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Kosher Salt
• For the Gremolata:
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 small habanero or serrano pepper, seeds and ribs removed, flesh finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated on a microplane grater
• 1 tablespoon zest from one orange, grated on a microplane grater

Procedures

1. 1

   Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, habanero pepper, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute longer.

2. 2

   Add lentils, water, bay leaves, and coconut milk.Bring to a boil over high heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils are completely tender and have started to break down and thicken the soup, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water or vegetable stock if soup begins to get too thick. Add chopped cilantro and stir to incorporate.

3. 3

   Discard bay leaves. If desired, partially puree some of the soup with a hand blender or in a standing blender to thicken. Add hot sauce, lime juice, and soy sauce and stir to combine. Season to taste with kosher salt.

4. 4

   For the Gremolata: combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

5. 5

   Ladle soup into individual bowls, sprinkle with gremolata mixture, and serve.