I could eat Thai food every day. The flavors are just so delicious. I am so excited to share one of my favorite soup recipes, inspired by my favorite thai flavors. It is healthy, but also addictively flavorful, with carrots, lentils and coconut milk simmered with ginger and red curry paste. It’s garnished with some lime and fresh chopped cilantro. I made this for my family recently and it has been on repeat in our weekly meal rotation.
The brainchild of this is that I often feel bored with traditional carrot soup. Carrots are so good for you and are a great source of beta carotene, but sometimes you crave something a bit more flavorful. I also love the addition of lentils, which add fiber and protein, as well as coconut milk, a great source of healthy fats. This soup is filling and satisfying. I like to enjoy it with some quinoa on the side or a salad.
An Easy Fool-Proof Recipe
The full recipe was made in the instant pot for 6 minutes on high pressure to cut down time. If you do not have an instant pot, you will need to simmer the dish for around 20 minutes until the lentils are soft. I also used an immersion blender to blend the ingredients, but feel free to transfer to a blender to blend until smooth.
I also used Thai Kitchen brand red curry paste, but you may use any red curry paste of choice.
The recipe makes around 4 servings, so you may need to double the quantity for a family of 4 or if this is the focal point of your meal. For my family, I had to double the quantities because everyone went back for seconds and thirds, and there were no leftovers! It keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Creamy Carrot Lentil Red Curry Soup (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4-6 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup red lentils rinsed
- 2 tbsp red curry paste I used Thai Kitchen
- 2 tsp grated ginger
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
Garnish
- lime wedges
- fresh chopped cilantro
- crushed red pepper flakes
- reserved coconut milk for garnish
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to saute setting and bring 2-3 tbsp of a mild oil to heat.
- Add onions and saute until transluscent.
- Add 1 tsp grated ginger and 2 tbsp red curry paste and cayenne pepper if desired.
- Stir and allow the flavors to blend for 1-2 minutes before adding the chopped and peeled carrots
- Saute carrots for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened and add rinsed red lentils, 1 can coconut milk and 2 cups of vegetable broth or water. Season with 1 ½ tsp salt.
- Close the lid and set on manual for 6 minutes with a slow release of 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the lid and blend the soup using an immersion blender. Adjust salt to taste.
- Squeeze in the juice of about half a lime (add a little at a time until you reach your desired tartness)
- Serve, garnished with some fresh chopped cilantro
Notes
- Recipe yields about 4 servings for about 2-3 people. You may need to double the quantities for a family of 4.
- Feel free to reserve some of the coconut milk for garnish.
