Thai Carrot and Coconut Soup with Lentils

In this delicious curried lentil soup, I have lifted a traditional winter soup with fragrant Thai spices and a hit of coconut. Perfect for jaded palates on winter days. 

The Perfect Winter Soup

Root vegetable soups are a wonderful gift in winter, but there is a risk that they can get repetitive. If you are not careful, the sweetness of all those fabulous roots can become a little cloying. That’s why I love to find new ways to vary and balance the flavours. 

Combining your root veg with a curried lentil soup produces a more savoury soup and a delicious balanced meal. Here, I decided to swap Indian curry spicing for a little Thai curry paste. I added coconut for a fragrant lift.

This Thai curry soup is not a traditional Thai soup by any means – lentils are rare in Thai cuisine and Thai soups are light and thin rather than blended. Nevertheless, this tasty fusion dish is perfect to raise the spirits on a cold day. 

This is a very adaptable recipe, so ring the changes with the vegetables you have to hand. If you are making this for vegetarians, check the ingredients in your curry paste. Many of them contain shrimp, so be careful.

How to Make Thai Curry Soup with Lentils and Root Vegetables

Step one – Peel and roughly chop the onions. Fry in the oil until golden. 

Step two – While the onions are cooking, peel and chop the rest of the vegetables. Add them to the pan with the curry paste. Stir well and fry for a few minutes.

Step three – Add the lentils and coconut milk. Top up with enough stock to cover everything and then bring to a gentle simmer.

Step four – Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.

Step five – Blend your soup with a stick blender until smooth, thinning it with a little water if necessary. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve.

Hints, Tips and Variations

• As with so many spiced dishes, this soup actually improves given time. Make enough for tomorrow and some for the freezer too. This recipe serves 8, but if you don’t have space in the freezer, it is easy to halve the quantities. 
• Top with a generous handful of fresh coriander, spare coriander can be frozen and then blitzed into your next batch of soup. 

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5 from 1 vote

Thai Carrot and Coconut Soup with Lentils

This traditional winter soup of lentils and root vegetables is lifted with fragrant Thai spices and a hit of coconut. Perfect for jaded palates on winter days. 

Servings: 8

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time30 mins

Total Time40 mins

Ingredients

• 2 medium onions
• 2 tsp oil
• 4 carrots
• 2 parsnips
• Wedge of swede (rutabaga)
• 2 tbsp red or yellow Thai curry paste (add more or less to taste)
• Mug full of red lentils
• 1/2 tin of coconut milk or 4 tbsp coconut milk powder
• 2 pints Vegetable stock
• Salt & pepper to season

Instructions

• Peel and roughly chop the onions. Fry in the oil until golden.
• While the onions are cooking, peel and chop the rest of the vegetables. Add them to the pan with the curry paste. Stir well and fry for a few minutes.
• Add the lentils and coconut milk. Top up with enough stock to cover everything and then bring to a gentle simmer.
• Cover the pan and cook for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
• Blend your soup with a stick blender until smooth, thinning it with a little water if necessary.

Notes

Tastes better having been cooled and reheated, and freezes well.

Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

Nutrition Facts

Thai Carrot and Coconut Soup with Lentils

Amount Per Serving

Calories 226 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Sodium 505mg22%

Potassium 589mg17%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 10g42%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 5945IU119%

Vitamin C 15mg18%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Asian, Fusion, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Thai Root Vegetable Soup

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in March 2012, but was rewritten and republished with step by step instructions and hints & tips in February 2020. 

I like to serve this Thai spiced curried lentil soup with my root vegetable bread. Love Thai food? Then check out my Vegan Red Thai Curry!