Lentils are a great source of important nutrients and an easy addition to meals, like this soup. The coconut milk and spices in this soup make this a creamy and tasty lentil-based dish!

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped (~1 cup)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon thyme, ground
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
• 2 Turkish bay leaves
• 1/3 cup coconut milk powder
• 2/3 cups cool water
• 1/2 teaspoon Sicilian sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorns
• Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or a small dollop of sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat butter and oil in large saucepan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add cumin, curry powder, thyme and cinnamon; cook and stir 1 minute or until fragrant.
2. Stir in broth, lentils, and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 35 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally.
3. Add coconut powder to cool water and stir until powder is dissolved; add to lentils and simmer 5 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves. Cool slightly.
4. With an immersion blender puree the soup until somewhat smooth, leaving some whole lentils. If no immersion blender is available, carefully remove half of the lentils and place in a blender and blend until smooth. Return pureed soup mixture to saucepan; mix well.
5. To serve, ladle into soup bowls. Top with chosen garnish.

Nutrition Information / Amount Per Serving (1 cup): Calories 247, Total Fat 9.6 g, Saturated Fat 3.3 g, Cholesterol 3.8 mg, Sodium 488.6 mg, Total Carbohydrates 27.6 g, Fiber 12.6 g, Protein 13.1 g