Tender lentils and creamy coconut milk come together with a myriad of spices for a cozy, comforting recipe that is sure to keep your body warm and your belly full during the colder winter months. My One Pot Curry Lentil Soup is not only about to become one of your go-to recipes this holiday season, but also comes together in only 30 minutes and with one pot, making it the perfect, easy weeknight dinner.
Friends, what happens when you need a quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in 30 minutes? You start reaching for the one-pot recipes. When you’re strapped for time, there is nothing worse than having a sink full of dirty dishes just from making one meal. Instead, one pot recipes are the solution to all of your problems. They require only one pot, so there’s minimal mess, plus they often come together in a short amount of time. What could be better than that?
This creamy, comforting lentil soup is made from a few simple plant-based ingredients for a one pot dinner that is not only time-saving, but also dairy-free and vegan-friendly. It’s perfect! If you want to bulk it up, you can also add in some cooked chicken breast, or serve it alongside warm bread or aside a serving of perfectly roasted veggies.
Whether you’re looking for an easy soup to serve after Thanksgiving or to warm you up during the cooler winter months, this recipe is it!
What You Need to Make 30 Minute Easy Dinner Recipe
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Butter: To add a rich fattiness to this soup, you can use either extra virgin olive oil or butter. Both work just as well!
- Garlic & Onion: I always recommend using fresh onion and garlic in soup recipes, whenever possible. It adds a delicious flavor that dried onion and garlic just can’t replicate!
- Seasonings: To season this soup, we’ll be using a combination of ground ginger, curry powder, and crushed red pepper flakes. Yum!
- Red Lentils: Red lentils are not only full of protein, but they are also an excellent source of plant-based iron!
- Crushed Tomatoes: I loving using crushed tomatoes as a simple and easy way to make a rich tomato base for any soup.
- Cilantro: Fresh chopped cilantro is full of vitamins and minerals, and adds a delicious, healthy punch to this soup.
- Vegetable Broth: I like using vegetable broth for the base of this soup, but you can also use chicken broth, if you prefer.
- Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Full-fat coconut milk adds a delicious creaminess to this soup, without the dairy.
- Garnishes: These are optional, but I love garnishing this soup with more chopped cilantro, a dollop of greek yogurt (or coconut milk), a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
How to Make This Simple & Easy Weeknight Dinner Recipe
To make this soup, start by heating a large pot, on the stove, over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and allow it to heat up. Next, chop the onions and add them to the pot, allowing them to cook for 7-8 minutes until the onions begin to soften and brown slightly. Once the onions have softened, add in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.
Stir the onions and spices together for about a minute, until they’re fully combined. Then, add in the lentils, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, vegetable broth and coconut milk. Stir the ingredients together until they’re combined, then reduce the heat to low and place a cover on the pot. Allow the soup to cook for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are tender and cooked through but not mushy.
Once the soup is done, remove it from the heat and divide it amongst four bowls. Top with garnishes of choice, then serve and enjoy!
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new.
** Photography by Gayle McLeod
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Butter
- 1 Medium Onion, finely diced
- 3 Cloves Garlic, mashed
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Cup Red Lentils
- 1 14.5 Ounce Can Crushed Tomatoes
- ¾ Cup Cilantro, chopped
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 1 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
For Garnishing:
- ¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
- 1 Dollop Greek Yogurt or Coconut Milk
- 1 Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pinch Flaky Sea Salt
- 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- To make this soup, start by heating a large pot, on the stove, over medium heat. Add in the olive oil and allow it to heat up.
- Next, chop the onions and add them to the pot, allowing them to cook for 7-8 minutes until the onions begin to soften and brown slightly.
- Once the onions have softened, add in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Stir the onions and spices together for about a minute, until they're fully combined. Then, add in the lentils, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, vegetable broth and coconut milk.
- Stir the ingredients together until they're combined, then reduce the heat to low and place a cover on the pot.
- Allow the soup to cook for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are tender and cooked through but not mushy.
- Once the soup is done, remove it from the heat and divide it amongst four bowls. Top with garnishes of choice, then serve and enjoy!
Rate & review
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What others are saying
Made this for dinner tonight and it took only 30 minutes – including all the chopping! It was incredibly easy to make and didn’t require a ton of dishes so the clean-up was also quick. It was extremely flavorful and paired with jasmine rice it was the perfect meal for a snowy night in!
YAY! Isn’t it so easy?! I love the pairing with jasmine rice – that sounds delicious! Thank you so much for leaving such a kind review, Casey!
Made this tonight and it was so delicious! It was quick, easy and I love how healthy it is. As suggested, I used cilantro, Greek yogurt, salt and pepper for garnishes – so good! I will definitely be making this again. Thank you Kalejunkie for another great recipe!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Jolyn! Thank you so much for all of your support and for leaving a kind review!
This was a winner! So flavorful and comforting.
This soup smells and tastes amazing 🤩 it is cold 🥶 in Southern California… the rain is coming and this soup warms up the soul and the belly too. Thank you 😊 Nicole for another great recipe.
Sooo good and easy!! I added fresh ginger too. Thanks Nicole! Love your recipes!
Yum! You are so welcome, Lori! Thank you so much for your review!
I love this soup! It’s so delicious and flavourful. Thanks for making easy and accessible recipes that actually make cooking more fun!
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Kylie! Thank you so much for making it and for leaving such a kind review!
Such a great soup! Perfect flavor.
I am so happy to hear that, Ann! Thank you for your review!
This soup is my soul food go-to! It is super quick and easy easy to make, feeds a large family with enough to have leftovers, and delicious! I always add a protein to the pot, usually skillet prepared curry chicken (cubed) or shrimp. I have prepared quite a few of Nicole‘s recipes, and this one is most definitely at the top of my list of favorites!