Easy 30-Minute Red Lentil Soup With Curry Yogurt Recipe
Unraveling the mysteries of home cooking through science.

[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Read more: The Food Lab: Easy Red Lentil Soup With Curry Yogurt
- Yield:Serves 4 to 6
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:30 minutes
Ingredients
- For the Soup
- 1 small carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
- 6 scallions, white parts only, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, split in half
- 1-inch knob ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 jalapeño or Serrano chili, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 1 pound red or yellow lentils
- 1 1/2 quarts homemade or store-bought low sodium vegetable stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup lemon juice from 2 lemons
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the Curry Yogurt
- 1 cup non-fat Greek-style yogurt
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 teaspoon Japanese or Madras curry powder
Directions
-
1.
Combine carrots, celery, scallions, garlic, ginger, and chili in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until very finely chopped, about 15 short pulses, scraping down bowl as necessary.
-
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add chopped vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and aromatic but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add lentils, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Simmer, stirring occasionally until lentils are fully tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
-
3.
While lentils cook, combine yogurt, cilantro, and curry powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small serving bowl.
-
4.
When lentils are cooked, remove and discard bay leaves. Working in two batches, purée soup in a blender, drizzling in remaining extra virgin olive oil while blender runs. Return soup to a pot, whisk in lemon juice, thin to desired consistency with water or stock, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately, passing the curry yogurt and extra-virgin olive oil on the side.
This Recipe Appears In
The Food Lab: Easy Red Lentil Soup With Curry YogurtAll products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.
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