Coconut Lentil Soup with Fresh Ginger and Black Lentils

My coconut lentil soup gets its heat and brightness from a quarter cup of fresh ginger, with no curry powder anywhere in it. A spoonful of almond butter gives it body, and the black lentils stay whole.

Almost every coconut lentil soup I come across is built on curry powder or turmeric, which is why so many of them taste like versions of the same golden bowl. This one has neither. What it has instead is a quarter cup of packed minced ginger, roughly four times what most recipes call for, and that’s where the heat and the brightness come from.

People assume there’s curry paste in the pot. There isn’t. The ginger goes in early with onion, garlic, and red bell pepper so it softens and sweetens rather than staying raw and sharp, and a spoonful of almond butter melts into the broth at the end. You won’t taste the almond butter. What you’ll notice is that the soup has real body, the kind that usually comes from a much longer simmer.

I use black lentils because they hold their shape instead of dissolving, then puree half the pot. You get a creamy base with whole lentils still in it. If it’s a curry you’re after rather than a soup, my coconut lentil curry is the one to make.

Can I use a different kind of lentil?

Black lentils, also sold as beluga lentils, are what I reach for here. They’re small and firm and they stay whole through a long simmer, which is the whole reason this soup has texture instead of turning into a smooth puree. They’re usually shelved right alongside the other lentils, though not every store carries them.

If you can’t find them, here’s what I’d reach for instead.

• French green lentils (du Puy): The closest swap by a wide margin. Same size, same firm texture, same cooking time, so you can use them cup for cup with no other changes.
• Brown or standard green lentils: These work, and readers have made the soup this way. They go softer than black lentils do, so start checking them around the twenty minute mark and pull them off the heat while they still have some bite.

How do I store leftovers? Store this soup in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. This soup freezes well, too. Keep it in a freezer-proof container for up to three months, then thaw it in the fridge before reheating.

Tap stars to rate!

5 stars (59 ratings)

Coconut Lentil Soup with Fresh Ginger and Black Lentils

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

Rate Recipe Print

• Pin

Remove Ads

A big pot of coconut lentil soup built on fresh ginger instead of curry powder, with black lentils that stay whole and almond butter for body. Half of it gets pureed, so it's creamy and still has texture.

6

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• ▢ 1 medium onion (minced)
• ▢ ¼ cup finely minced ginger (packed)
• ▢ 2 red bell peppers (chopped small)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢ 8 cups stock (chicken or vegetable)
• ▢ 2 cups dried beluga lentils
• ▢ 2 14-ounce cans coconut milk
• ▢ ¼ cup almond butter
• ▢ 5 stalks curly kale ( stem removed and leaves torn into pieces)
• ▢ Sea salt and pepper (to taste )

Instructions 

• Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until transparent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the ginger, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until the peppers are soft, about 5 minutes.
  2 tablespoons coconut oil, 1 medium onion, ¼ cup finely minced ginger, 2 red bell peppers, 4 cloves garlic
  
• Add the stock and beluga lentils to the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently until the lentils are soft, about 25 minutes.
  8 cups stock, 2 cups dried beluga lentils
  
• Add the coconut milk and almond butter the pot and heat through. Use your blender or immersion blender to puree half of the soup.
  2 14-ounce cans coconut milk, ¼ cup almond butter
  
• Stir in the kale and then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a swirl of coconut milk on top, if you'd like.
  5 stalks curly kale, Sea salt and pepper
  

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe, Calories: 340kcal (17%), Carbohydrates: 42g (14%), Protein: 19g (38%), Fat: 11g (17%), Saturated Fat: 5g (31%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 25mg (1%), Potassium: 248mg (7%), Fiber: 16g (67%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 1413IU (28%), Vitamin C: 58mg (70%), Calcium: 102mg (10%), Iron: 6mg (33%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.

More lentil recipes

1 hour hr

Coconut Lentil Curry

1 hour hr

Lentil Bolognese (richly-flavored vegetarian pasta sauce)

4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Crockpot Lentil Curry

1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Black Lentil Curry