Our June VEGETARIAN ODYSSEY continues with what might be my favorite recipe of the month: GREEN CURRY LENTIL AND CHICKPEA SOUP. The house is filled with the rich aromatics of ginger, cinnamon, and cumin…a brilliant counterpart to the rock solid earthiness of lentils and chickpeas, ultimately corralled together by the harmony of BLUE ELEPHANT GREEN CURRY PASTE. There’s a lot happening in this soup, but the flavor stratifications are exotic, yet balanced, and utterly delicious.

We also love this recipe when served next to a tall tower of our homemade naan (see link below) - perfect for sopping up every last lentil and splash of culinary nirvana. Thump thump!

Metrobilly naan

GREEN CURRY LENTIL AND CHICKPEA SOUP

SERVES: 4 TO 6 | PREP AND COOK TIME: UNDER AN HOUR

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 2.4 ounce pouch BLUE ELEPHANT GREEN CURRY PASTA

2 cups diced carrots, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes

½ cup dry green or brown lentils

¾-1 tsp salt

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp cayenne

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp fish sauce

Optional toppings: yogurt, sliced lemon, and fresh whole leaf parsley and cilantro

TECHNIQUE

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat; add onions and sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until soft and translucent; then add ginger and garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
Add BLUE ELEPHANT GREEN GREEN CURRY PASTE and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan constantly, until paste is fragrant and slightly darkened and mixture starts to stick to pan, about 3 minutes.
Stir in carrots and cook for another 2 minutes; then add broth, tomatoes, lentils, all dry spices and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are fully cooked.
Add chickpeas, fish sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and add additional fish sauce or salt if necessary.
Serve with a drizzle of plain yogurt, sliced lemon, and fresh parsley and cilantro.

We also love this recipe when served next to a tall tower of our homemade naan (see link below) - perfect for sopping up every last lentil and splash of culinary nirvana. Thump thump!

GREEN CURRY LENTIL AND CHICKPEA SOUP

SERVES: 4 TO 6 | PREP AND COOK TIME: UNDER AN HOUR

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 2.4 ounce pouch BLUE ELEPHANT GREEN CURRY PASTA

2 cups diced carrots, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes

½ cup dry green or brown lentils

¾-1 tsp salt

½ tsp cumin

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp coriander

¼ tsp cinnamon

⅛ tsp cayenne

1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tsp fish sauce

Optional toppings: yogurt, sliced lemon, and fresh whole leaf parsley and cilantro

TECHNIQUE

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat; add onions and sauté for approximately 5 minutes or until soft and translucent; then add ginger and garlic and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.

Add BLUE ELEPHANT GREEN GREEN CURRY PASTE and cook, stirring and scraping bottom of pan constantly, until paste is fragrant and slightly darkened and mixture starts to stick to pan, about 3 minutes.

Stir in carrots and cook for another 2 minutes; then add broth, tomatoes, lentils, all dry spices and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are fully cooked.

Add chickpeas, fish sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and add additional fish sauce or salt if necessary.

Serve with a drizzle of plain yogurt, sliced lemon, and fresh parsley and cilantro.