Coconut Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Peas

The Spiced Life family just got back from a whirlwind trip to Disney World! John got invited to talk at a conference there and we said yes, please! 3 days nonstop parks with rides, princesses, food, princesses, fairies, princesses... So please forgive any typos or just plain incomprehensible sentences. My brain feels like Swiss cheese; we are Exhausted. Happy but exhausted.

We had great Disney World weather--which meant that it was warm, intermittently sunny and intermittently gloomy with just enough rain to deter locals but nowhere near enough to deter us. So waits for really popular characters like Rapunzel and the fairies were not too bad for us.

About the soup. This is another choice from 101 Cookbooks--only this time it turned into more of an inspiration as I strayed pretty far from the recipe. I'm not sure what happened--the soup just suddenly screamed for potatoes and peas--seriously, I could hear it in my head--or more likely taste it on my tongue. So in they went, out came other parts, and I had no regrets.



Coconut Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Peas
Inspired by 101 Cookbooks

1 cup (7 oz/200g) yellow split peas, rinsed
1 cup (7 oz/200g) red split lentils (masoor dal), rinsed
1/2 t turmeric
1/2 t paprika
1-2 T ghee or oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups water
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
2 T fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 T curry powder
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 19-oz can coconut milk
Salt and pepper to taste
one small handful cilantro, chopped
Several handfuls (to taste) fresh or frozen peas

Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of ghee or oil (or a combo). When it is hot, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are caramelized, about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the carrots and 1/4 of the ginger. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the paprika and turmeric, cook for 1 minute while stirring, and then add the lentils, split peas and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cover to maintain a simmer.

Simmer the legumes for 15 minutes and then add the prepped potatoes with the 2 cups of stock. Return to a boil. Cover and simmer until the split peas are tender and the potatoes are fork tender (the red lentils will disintegrate).

In the meantime, in a small nonstick skillet low heat, toast the curry powder until it is quite fragrant. Be careful not to let it burn. Add the tomato paste and ginger and stir to mix. Raise the heat to medium and roast the mix, stirring all the while, for about 2-3 minutes. Add this mixture to the lentils. Also add the coconut milk and salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is not thick enough, let it simmer uncovered for a bit. Add the peas and cilantro before serving (heat the peas through).