No matter what anyone says, spring is not around the corner. More like it’s around a blind curve. It’s 19 degrees, and as cold as winter gets. I can’t even contemplate eating cold food. This soup, with a blend of warm and aromatic spices, should work pretty nicely to warm you up from the inside out.
- 3 medium onion, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1 large potato, chopped
- 1 c. red lentils
- 8 c. water or vegetable stock
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 bay leaf
- 2-3 c. cooked brown rice
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tsp. salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- juice of 1 lemon
Put onion, celery, carrot, squash, potato, lentils and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Add garlic, ginger and other spices, including bay leaf. Simmer about 30 minutes, until lentils and vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf.
Blend the soup with an immersion blender, or by transferring in batches to a blender.
Next, stir in coconut milk and brown rice, heat thoroughly, and add salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with a curl of lemon rind and sprig of cilantro to remind yourself that spring will be here someday. Serves 8-10.
Thank you to Heidi at FoodDoodles.com for this complex and wonderful soup.
Hi Dr. Sukol,
This looks like a great soup! I read conflicting information as to whether coconut milk is good for you, particularly because of the saturated fat content. Where do you weigh in on this debate?
Recently found your website after seeing it referenced in Grocery and have really enjoyed it so far!
Dear Darren: Thank you for your very kind words! I happen to be a fan of coconut milk despite the high percentage of saturated medium-chain length fatty acids. I will keep my eyes open for some more info on fatty acids to try and help explain some of the reasons for the seemingly bottomless confusion about fats. Best wishes, RBS