Coconut Red Lentil Soup with Spinach

  • 1 TB olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 TB minced fresh ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 TB minced fresh garlic
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup dried red lentils
  • ½ cup water (optional)
  • 1 14 oz can coconut milk
  • 10 oz fresh spinach
  • 1-2 TB fresh lime juice
  • Sea salt to taste

A very hearty soup with exotic flavors. Always a hit at the demo counter!

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened and beginning to color. Stir in ginger, cumin, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon and garlic. Cook one minute, stirring constantly. Add broth and lentils. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer about 20 minutes until lentils are soft. Remove from heat. Rinse spinach, shake off excess water, remove tough stems and cook in a large pot until wilted. Drain, and when cooled, squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop. If using baby spinach, skip this last step. Instead, coarsely chop the dry baby spinach leaves and add to soup with the coconut milk and lime juice. Stir well. Taste for salt, adding as needed. Thin with a little water if too thick for your preference.  Heat an additional couple of minutes as needed to wilt spinach and heat through.

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