Since the temperatures have dipped, all I want to eat is soup. I love a good lentil soup and this Thai red lentil soup is the ultimate in fast food. It’s very quick and easy to make. You could be eating this in 30 minutes! Growing up Vietnamese, we ate soups all the time and while I grew weary of it as a child, I crave it all the time now as an adult. Funny how that works!
Sometimes when I’m looking for inspiration, I go to old cookbooks that I haven’t perused in a long time. I have several of Ottolenghi’s cookbooks and (I hate to admit) there are a few I haven’t cooked from. Plenty More is one of them. Looking through it, I went straight to the index for soup and there it was, this recipe for Thai red lentil soup. First of all, I LOVE Thai red curry and coconut milk. Second, red lentils cook so quickly and easily and I love the smooth texture you can achieve with them. It was a no brainer to give it a try.
When shortcuts work beautifully.
One of my favorite cheats is store bought Thai red curry paste. This one in particular from Thai Kitchen has been my go to for years and it’s readily available in lots of major chain grocery stores. They also make a green curry paste but I don’t like it as much. It makes a great weeknight curry and a delicious flavor base for soups and even marinating meat and vegetables. Stock up when you see it in the asian aisle of your grocery store. It will keep for a long time unopened.
Ottolenghi also included a recipe for chili-infused oil with this soup. I read it through and decided a store bought version would suffice just fine for drizzling on the soup. I kept thinking of a chunky, Chinese chili oil but I didn’t want to go to an asian grocery store. So instead, while I was shopping at Trader Joe’s, I went nosing around the hot sauce aisle.
I found this amazing Chili Onion Crunch oil. Even the cashier asked me if I had tried it. She said she loved it and put it on everything. Taking that as a good sign, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Luckily, her recommendation was spot on and it is VERY good. Mildly spicy, garlicy and crunchy with a fruity, chili note. Even chiliphobes could handle this! If you spot this, scoop some up before it’s gone. TJ’s likes to carry certain items only for a limited time and this might be one of them.
Give me all the toppings for this Thai red lentil soup!
Any kind of pureed or smooth soup tastes so much better with toppings, in my opinion. It adds some much needed texture to contrast with the smooth creaminess. This Thai red lentil soup has crunchy, sliced snap peas, bright herbs, crunchy chili oil and an extra spoonful of coconut milk on top. Everything works so well together and makes this even heartier but fresher at the same time. It is easily made vegan if you make it with water or vegetable stock. Snow peas would work equally as well, if you can’t find snap peas. Fried shallots would also be delicious scattered on top.
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Thai Red Lentil Soup with Sugar Snap Peas
Ingredients
- 4 ounces (120 g) sugar snap peas
- 3 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1½ tbsp red curry paste (or more if you like it spicier)
- 1¼ cup (250 g) dried, red lentils
- 2 stalks lemongrass, lightly crushed
- peel from 1 lime, peeled in strips with a vegetable peeler
- 3 cups (700 ml) water, vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk (plus extra for garnish, optional)
- 2-3 tbsp lime juice
- 2½ tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt, or to taste
- cilantro, coursely chopped, for garnish (optional)
- chili oil or hot sauce for garnish (optional)
- 4 lime wedges, for serving (optional)
- fresh chili slices, for garnish (optional)
Method
- In a small pot of boiling, salted water, blanch snap peas for 30-40 seconds. Drain and rinse under cold water. Slice into thin strips on the diagonal. Set aside.
- In a large pot, heat oil on medium. Add onions and saute' for 6-7 minutes to soften and develop sweetness. Add the red curry paste and saute' for 1 minute. Add the lemongrass, lime peel and lentils. Stir to coat everything well.
- Add water or stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a bare simmer and cover pot. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring soup once or twice. Lentils should be completely soft (soup may look a little thick at this point).
- Remove lemongrass and lime peels. Blend soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until completely smooth. Put soup back into pot. Add the coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce and salt. Bring back to a boil for 1 minute and remove from heat. Taste and adjust soy sauce, salt or lime juice, if needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with sugar snap peas, cilantro, drizzles of coconut milk and/or chili oil. Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
Notes
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I love a good bowl of lentil soup. I’m going to have to try this one out!
Thanks! Hope you do!
Thank you – delicious new way to use red lentils
You’re so welcome! I hope you love the recipe.:)