Green Curry Lentil Soup
A flavorful soup featuring green curry paste, lentils, sweet potatoes, smoked sausage, fresh spinach, and coconut milk for a hearty, Thai-inspired meal.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 onion , diced
- 1 small sweet potato (about 8 ounces), scrubbed and cut into 1/2" cubes
- 7 ounces smoked sausage (1/2 rope), diced
- 2-4 tablespoons Thai green curry paste*
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste (or 1" piece fresh ginger, minced)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 3/4 cup green or brown lentils , rinsed and picked over for debris
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 14 ounces unsweetened canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves , chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1 green onion , sliced
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 4-quart soup pot or Dutch oven over medium until the surface shimmers. Add the onions, sweet potatoes, and smoke sausage and saute until the onions have softened and the smoked sausage has cooked through (about 10 minutes).
- Spoon in the green curry paste, ginger, and garlic and mix well for a few minutes, letting the curry paste become fragrant.
- Add the lentils and broth and increase the heat to bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Give everything a good stir, making sure the ingredients are covering by the liquids. Set a lid slightly ajar on the pot (to let steam escape) and cook for 20 minutes. Stir once halfway through, scraping the bottom to ensure nothing is sticking to it.
- At the 20-minute mark, take a small spoonful of lentils and carefully taste (it's hot!) for lentil doneness. They should be tender and not chewy. If they need 5 more minutes, check the liquid levels, cover ajar, and continue cooking.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in coconut milk and spinach leaves. Let heat until the spinach has wilted.
- Before serving, top with the cilantro and green onions.
Video
Notes
* Thai green curry pastes vary widely in terms of their ingredients and spiciness levels. The Thai Kitchen brand, commonly found in grocery stores, is not spicy at all, while Maesri has a good bit of a kick to it. Give the paste a taste before measuring it out, and use your best judgment as to how much to add to the soup for the people who will be enjoying it. I used the Thai Kitchen brand and added all 4 tablespoons (the entire 4 oz jar).