Curried Red Lentil Soup

Keep the soup coming!! 

Do you like the flavor of curry? 

I never used to like it, but it's been growing on me, and I'm actually beginning to really enjoy it. It has a strong intense flavor that I now find delicious in lentil soups. This recipe is delicious!

This recipe is what I call my "dump" soup. I just dump everything into the Instant Pot and after 11 minutes of cooking, I have a delicious, nutritious, protein rich soup. The flavor of the soup "as is" is already good, but when I add a little curry powder, it takes the flavors up a big notch! 

IMPORTANT 

I add the curry powder after cooking because my husband HATES the smell and the taste of the curry powder. I wouldn't dare add it to the entire pot of soup while cooking because the aromatic oils in those spices would be released into the entire condo. Our clothing and furniture, curtains and condo would probably smell like curry.

What exactly is curry powder made of? 

It is a spice frequently used in Indian cooking that is a combination of spices such as ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, black pepper, ground dry mustard, cardamom, fenugreek, and cinnamon. 

I've read that the aromatic spices such as the ones I mentioned above  release volatile oils that permeate and linger in the air, furniture, curtains for a long time. 

I would skip the curry altogether, but it does really taste good!

Wash Immediately

Personally, I find that the "odor" is greatly reduced if you only add the curry powder to each bowl (as opposed to cooking with them) and then make sure that you wash the bowl immediately after dinner. Never leave it overnight to soak. 

Vinegar and Water

I also read that you can put out some bowls of vinegar and water (50/50) in the kitchen to help absorb some of the strong aromatic oil smells given off by the spices.

 

Ready to Make The Recipe? 

All that being said, if you still want to make curry, you will love this simple easy recipe.  

Author of Blog: Judee Algazi

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 11 minutes ( Plus pre-heat time about 10 minutes) 

Serves: 10 bowls

Ingredients

1 cup of red lentils, washed well and drained

1 jar of chunky salsa

2 cups of sliced carrots 

2 cups of sliced zucchini 

2 teaspoons of ginger paste (or fresh ginger)

4 cups of vegetable broth

4 cups of water

1 teaspoon of salt-free seasoning (such as Trader Joe's 21 Salute) 

4 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/8 teaspoon of curry powder per individual bowl 

Directions for Instant Pot (you can use the stove top too)

Add red lentils, salsa, carrots, zucchini, ginger paste, vegetable broth, water, and salt-free seasoning to the liner of the Instant Pot. Stir well. Set pressure cooker timer to 11 minutes. When done, allow to sit for 5 additional minutes. Then release steam manually according the manufacturer's directions. When all steam is released, carefully remove the lid. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Add the lemon juice, taste, and add additional seasoning if needed. Ladle soup into each bowl for serving and add the curry powder to each bowl who wants it and stir well.

Egyptian Red Lentil Soup 

If you don't care for curry, try one of my other red lentil soups such as Red Lentil Vegetable Soup (link to recipe),  Egyptian Red Lentil Soup (link), Red Lentil and Quinoa Soup (link), or Butternut Squash Red Lentil Soup (link).

My Notes: 

1. I make this recipe in the Instant Pot, but you can easily make it on the stove top. Just bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer on medium until the red lentils are soft (about 25 minutes?)

2. If you are not a fan of curry, just omit it!!  You will still enjoy the soup.

 

3. All of my recipes since 2021 are oil-free and naturally vegan. My recipes have always been gluten-free since 2011when I began the publishing the blog.