Easy Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup recipe. Made with coconut milk and spinach, this makes a comforting meatless dinner idea.
The weather is getting a LOT warmer now. Are you feeling it in your corner of the world? In Toronto, I went outside today with shorts on. SHORTS! I don’t remember the last time I wore shorts, but it feels good. And of course, when it starts looking like summer, I start to crave soup. Warm foods on warm days? Somehow that is all my body wants right now. So it’s Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup time.
This soup was accidentally vegan. I have been trying to make more Meatless Monday meals, but lately all of my meals have been meatless.
I think that this is a direct result of living on my own now. John used to insist that we eat meat at every meal. Even if it was a snack, he would take out some pepperoni sticks or slices of meat so that we would get our protein in. But now that he is on the other side of the country, I can make up my own rules.
Eating this soup, I am really not missing the meat at all. The mixture of lentils, carrots, spinach and allll of the spices. Meat who? I don’t know you.
Even though lentils don’t have as much protein in it than meat does, it still has a fair bit. Did you know that 100g of cooked lentils have 9g of protein in it?
So this soup paired with my peanut butter protein balls for dessert? I think skipping the meat this Monday is perfectly acceptable.
Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup Ingredients
The ingredient list may look intimidating, but they are wholesome ingredients that are probably some of your pantry staples. All you need for this coconut curry soup is:
- 1 tablespoon oil (Olive oil and coconut oil are my favorite in this recipe, but any neutral oil would work)
- 1 onion (Yellow onion or red onion works great here)
- 3 carrots
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups cold water
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 2 cups lentils (red lentils or brown lentils work fine here)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt and pepper
Tips & Tricks
Switch up the milk. The full-fat coconut milk is really what makes this soup creamy. However, you can always use a can of coconut milk that isn’t full fat if that’s all you have on hand. I wouldn’t suggest other types of non-dairy milk just because they are usually very thin. If you don’t mind it not being vegan, regular cows milk or cream work great in place of the creamy coconut milk.
Try a different type of lentil. French lentils or red lentils work well in this recipe too.
Make it ahead! I actually think that this soup tastes a lot better the next day. Just cook it according to the recipe card, then store it either in the same saucepan or an airtight container in the fridge. Then when you want to heat it up, either microwave it or reheat on the stove.
Spice it up. There are so many spices you can add to make it your own. I really love adding in some red pepper flakes or some cayenne pepper for some additional spice, or mixing in some curry spices or red curry paste for maximum flavour.
More of my Favorite Soup Recipes
Like this Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup? Then you will love some of my favorite recipes for flavorful soup:
- Cream of Celery Soup – One of the best soups for busy weeknights. And super unique too!
- Coconut Sweet Potato and Lentil Soup – Another great vegan lentil soup recipe. The combination of sweet potatoes and lentils make this a hearty soup.
- Thai Sweet Potato Carrot Soup – You’ll need an immersion blender for this one, but it is worth it for this creamy soup.
- Tofu Coconut Curry – While this one isn’t a soup, I feel like I should include this recipe because it’s so good!
If you try this recipe, let me know! Rate it, leave a comment and tag me with #atasteofmadness on Instagram! I always love seeing what you are creating!
Vegan Coconut Curry Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 medium carrots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 Tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 (400 mL) can coconut milk
- 2 cups dried lentils
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. Cook the onion and carrots until onions are fragrant.
- Add in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, cinnamon and cumin, and cook for around 2 minutes.
- Mix in the tomato paste. Add in the broth, water, coconut milk and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for around 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.
- Mix in the spinach, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Mix until the spinach is wilted. Serve immediately.
Pin for Later
Oh, I always love a good lentil curry, and this looks perfectly cozy! And I love that pop of color the spinach adds. This will come in handy all fall and winter.
Me too! It is soup weather, so I am making this on repeat
I just started cooking with lentils so I need a good recipe. I love curry so this is a must try recipe.
It is my go to for using up lentils. So good!!
I love how easy and how flavorful this looks! I’ve been craving a lot of soups lately, I’ll be adding this to my list!
Me too! It is the month of soups lately
Lentils were made for autumn/winter! They are so nourishing and filling – just what we need to get us through this cold spell.
Agree!! Thanks 🙂
Lentil soups are my favorite, and I love how flavorful and hearty this one is! Soup season is one of the pros of this chilly weather!
Agree!! It is always so cozy at this time of year 🙂
I’m all about dairy-free soups! Love adding coconut milk for creaminess and flavour. Also, thanks for the reminder that I really need to make lentil soup again soon. So hearty!
Me too!! Lentils are my go-to ingredient in soups these days 🙂
WoW, a recipe after my own heart. I love anything vegan as I am one! Thanks for sharing. Can’t wait to try this on my family.
Yay! Hope you love it as much as I do 🙂
I love soup any time of the year. Especially good when it’s cooler outside, and we have been trying to have more meat-free days, so this is perfect!
Yes! This time of year I am eating soup on repeat 🙂
This vegan coconut curry lentil soup looks so hearty and flavorful! I can’t wait to try this for dinner soon and am positive it will only get better the next day!
I hope you do!! It is so good 🙂
This looks like a great way to use lentils. Never heard of curry in a soup but this looks yummy.
It is so good, I make this soup so often!!
This lentil soup has so much flavor and I love that it is so nutritious and filling! I will be making it on repeat this winter!
Yes!! I bought a huge bag of lentils JUST for this soup 🙂
This sounds so warming and delicious, I can’t wait to try it out. I’m pinning right now!
Katie xoxo
Yay! Thanks for the pin 🙂
The lentil soup looks wholesome and am sure it will be great for weekend dinner.
I am addicted to this soup!