Curried Lentil Soup

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A hearty vegetarian soup that’ll satisfy even the stoutest of adventurers

This last weekend I  had the pleasure of catering a Dungeons and Dragons Meet & Greet which happened to have a rather large portion of vegetarian adventurers. Among my other offerings, I knew I needed to have a really great soup as a bridge between the appetizers and the exciting mains.

Something simple, yet exciting. Enter Curried Lentil Soup. I looked for a base recipe to  modify and epicurious definitely delivered with this one.

I upped the quantity of various items to serve a larger party, and replaced the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Had I more time I would have loved to have made my own veggie stock, but it was not meant to be. Still, absolutely no complaints about how this dish turned out.

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Ignoring the stuff in the background, this is actually a pretty simple dish.

You will need olive oil, cayenne pepper, curry powder, a carrot, a can of diced tomatoes, lentils, a big onion, and a big russet potato.  You’ll also want some salt and black pepper too.

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Oh, and vegetable broth or stock too, instead of chicken stock, unless you don’t mind going the non vegetarian route.

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First off, soak and rinse the lentils.

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Then start prepping your veggies. Dice the onions.

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Peel and dice the potato.

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And finally the carrot. They’re all going in together so you can put them into a bowl at the same time.

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Into your big old pot over medium high heat, add in a bit of olive oil. Be generous, don’t go overboard.

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When the oil just starts to shimmer, add in all of the diced veggies. Stir until softened, about five minutes.

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Add two and a half tablespoons of curry powder and a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Or a bit  more if you swing that side of the spice. Cook until fragrant, about a half minute.

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Then add in all the wet stuff, the diced tomatoes and juice, and the vegetable broth or stock.

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Then add in the lentils and bring to a boil over high heat.

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When it comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium low or lower, so it can sustain a simmer. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Check lentils for tenderness, and cover and cook up to ten minutes more.

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And then you’ll have some delicious filling soup, cheap enough for a peasant, hearty enough to get you through the day, and a great punch of protein for your adventuring party!

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Curried Lentil Soup

Recipe modified and adapted from Epicurious

  • Olive oil, to sauté vegetables
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 large potato, peeled and cut into large dice
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced 
  • 2.5 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 48 oz. of vegetable stock
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with juice 
  • 2 and a half cups lentils (about 14-16 ounces), rinsed, drained
    1. Set a large heavy pot over medium high heat, and pour in generous drizzle of oil to coat the bottom
    2. Add the onion, potato and carrots and cook until softened, roughly 5 minutes, stirring as necessary.
    3. Add the curry and cayenne pepper and toss into the vegetables until fragrant, a half minute
    4. Add the stock, tomatoes and lentils. Raise heat to high until everything comes to a boil, then cover and lower heat to medium low heat.
    5. Simmer for 40-50 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
    6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
    7. Serve right away or refrigerate for up to two days before warming again to serve.

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