My lovely red lentils turned green . . .
The average green lentils I find at my grocery store bore me, so you can imagine my excitement when I found a bin of red lentils in the bulk section waiting for me to dump them into a bag and head to the checkout counter.
Hearty Red Lentil Soup
As soon as I walked through my front door I set about dreaming up a recipe for my red treasures.
I happily chopped a pile of onions, carrots, and celery, and decided to toss turmeric and garam masala into the mix for a warming effect.
I stirred my sweet red lentils and some broth into the pot, then turned down the heat and let my concoction simmer until the lentils were tender and turned . . .
Red Lentil Soup
A colorful shade of yellowish-green!
Red Lentil Soup
Close your eyes and I’m sure you can see the disappointment on my face as I ladled my dream soup into bowls, baffled as to why it wasn’t a colorful shade of red.
Red Lentil Soup
A quick search of Google didn’t produce a scientific answer as to why my red lentil soup recipe turned green, but this conversation from CHOW was good enough for me – entertaining too.
In the end, it really doesn’t matter. A dollop of Greek yogurt swirled into my soup made me happy again. The next time I’ll add some tomatoes to the batch and see if my lentils stay red.
If you have a better answer to my lentil dilemma, I’d love to hear from you. Happy, healthy cooking!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup carrots, small chopped
- 2 cups celery, small chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 2 cups red lentils, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ cup parsley, chopped
- ½ lemon lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes until softened. Add vegetable stock, lentils, turmeric and garam masala. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer 45 - 60 minutes until lentils are tender. Add more broth as needed to keep a thick consistency.
- Add parsley and lemon.
- Serve with plain greek yogurt if desired.
Notes
Calories: 297 Weight Watchers PointsPlus 6 Total Fat: 3.91g Cholesterol: -- Sodium: 597mg Total Carbs: 48.22g Dietary Fiber: 21.36g Sugars: 6.14g Protein: 17.45g
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Please see disclaimer for further details. Nutrition information is compiled with MacGourmet. If you find discrepancies, please let me know. It’s important to  me that I provide you with accurate information.
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{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Hmm…I’ve used red lentils before but I thought they stayed red. But thinking about it, I was making an Ethiopian inspired dish with tons of berbere (a red spice) so that’s probably why I *thought* they stayed red! Lol, learn something new everyday. Either way your lentil soup still looks super tasty.
Food Jaunts recently posted…Italian Spinach and Artichoke Chicken
It’s true. That’s what I love about food blogging. It’s always an adventure!
I love red lentils! Red lentil soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. Coming to think of it, I always add some canned tomato to red lentil soup, and the lentils tend to stay more pink in color. The dollop of yogurt on top looks delicious!
lisaiscooking recently posted…Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins
Hi Lisa! I’m thinking the turmeric probably turned the lentils that yellow green color. Next time I’ll try your tomatoes.
I saw this great recipe on Google + this morning. Looking forward to seeing more of your recipes.
Christie – Food Done Light recently posted…Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
Hi Christie – thanks for visiting!
I am too a fan of lentils. The soup looks filling and delicious!
Angie@Angie’s Recipes recently posted…Roasted Beet Mozzarella Salad with Quinoa
It was hearty, but I still admit I wish the soup had stayed that lovely red color. I was going for splash!
Here red lentils are the ones we find regularly and this soup looks absolutely the perfect thing these days that the weather has chilled!
Katerina recently posted…Orange-Flavored and Spiced Up Honey Mug Cakes
It’s true – Seattle is starting to see a dip in the temperatures. We had a very late and mild summer. Do your red lentils stay red when you cook them?
Oh! You just reminded me that should use up the lentils that I have in the cupboard…yours look beautiful…and a dollop of yogurt sure looks a great way to serve this lentil soup.
Thanks for the recipe and hope you are having a fabulous week Kristi
Juliana recently posted…Pork with Dry Pressed Tofu and Green Beans
Hi Juliana! I love lentils – I can make an easy side dish, salad or soup since they cook up so quickly. Enjoy your week too.
Such a wonderful and beautiful soup! I don’t cook lentils enough but I like em. Great flavors and thumbs up for the greek yogurt on top!
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz recently posted…Super Squeezies soy dessert tubes
I love the tang Greek yogurt adds, don’t you?
This is my kind of a meal. Comforting and delicious!
Asmita recently posted…Rabri
Hi Asmita – I love a good lentil soup. You’re right – it’s so comforting now that the weather has turned chilly.
I’m glad that I read your post. I have a bag of red lentils in the pantry and now know what to expect when cooking them.
Karen (Back Road Journal) recently posted…Schwarzwaldstube…The Culinary Highlight Of Our Trip
If they’re red, you’ll have to let me know if they stay that way, or if they turn green.
Thanks for the recipe it looks so delicious
Food Lover recently posted…Upside-Down Pineapple Cake
I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for visiting! Enjoy your Sunday.
For me whether its red or green lentils. it is still a worthy recipe and the yogurt toppings is a spontaneous creativity. Did you prepare yourself the gram masala? If so maybe you can share the basics.
No, I’m afraid I purchased it from Cost Plus. They have an affordable and fresh collection of spices and herbs. Have a good weekend!
I love red (pink) lentils, even though they don’t cook up that way (as you found out!). But they cook so quickly and they’re so tasty. Great in an Indian dal, or a classic lentil soup like yours. Really good stuff – thanks.
kitchenriffs recently posted…Roast Brussels Sprouts
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