Red Lentil Curry Soup for when you are feeling lazy or in a hurry for a quick meal, but still want something full of flavor, healthy and homemade. This soup is SO easy and incredibly quick to make. It is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, dairy-free and high in protein!
LAZY RED LENTIL CURRY SOUP
I whipped this delicious Lazy Red Lentil Curry Soup up on a whim for dinner last night and it turned out so delicious, I figured a quick blog post was in order. I’m all about the lazy and easy vegan meals. This Lazy Day Vegan Tomato Bisque is a reader favorite for years and I also have a Lazy Red Lentil Salsa Soup in my cookbook. I love that this recipe is not only healthy, it is super filling and oil-free as well. Also, pretty gorgeous to look at too, right?
This recipe is a variation on one of my super old lentil soup recipes on my blog. This one is richer, bolder and with a touch of a red curry punch. Adding curry paste adds a richer color and a wonderful depth of flavor and a lovely kick of heat, without being too spicy.
HOW TO MAKE VEGAN RED LENTIL CURRY SOUP
For this super easy recipe, you will need 8 ingredients (+salt/pepper):
- red lentils
- onion
- garlic powder
- veggie broth
- red curry paste
- lime juice
- fresh spinach
- smoked paprika
I love using red lentils for quick meals because they cook in the fraction of time as green lentils do. I’m talking 10-15 minutes fast and of course they take on any flavor you add to them. I also should mention they are super high in protein.
To garnish, I added some toasted slivered almonds. You’d think it’s such a simple topping, and it is, but wow, did it pack such a lovely flavor and texture contrast! The toasted element is SO DELISH. I literally said “OMG” out loud after I had that bite with the almonds, haha. It’s optional since it’s not crucial to the recipe and I know many are allergic, but if you aren’t, I urge you to get some and add them!
Hope you all love this Lazy Red Lentil Curry Soup. It would also be delicious served alongside my Coconut Lime Rice!
Other Amazing Vegan Soups to try:
- Hearty Italian White Bean Basil Soup
- Easy 1 Pot Creamy Curry Rice Soup
- Sweet Potato Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Creamy Sweet Potato Soup
- Hearty Veggie Potato Stew
- Low-fat Smoky Broccoli Potato Soup
Lazy Red Lentil Curry Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) red lentils, rinsed well with COLD water
- 3 cups (720g) organic low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup (80g) finely diced red onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons (30-45) red curry paste, depending on preference (I used 3)
- 3 packed cups of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Optional: red pepper flakes and toasted slivered almonds
- Optional side: Coconut Lime Rice
Instructions
- Add all the lentils, broth, onion, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper to a medium pot and stir well. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest heat and cover with a lid, tilted slightly to allow a small amount of steam to escape.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes (set the timer) and then add the red curry paste (start with 2 tablespoons) and stir through. Cook about 3-5 more minutes until the lentils are perfectly tender. Taste and if a stronger curry flavor is desired, add another tablespoon. Keep in mind that red lentils are MUCH softer than traditional green lentils that have more of a defined bite, so if you prefer them to have more of a bite, just cook them less time.
- Add the spinach and lime juice (start with 1 tbsp lime juice) and stir for a couple of minutes until all the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat and taste. Add the remaining lime juice if desired and for a kick, red pepper flakes. The curry paste does give a nice mild kick, but I liked the additional kick of red pepper flakes. I would not add them if serving to kids, so they are optional.
- For a lovely garnish and crunch, add toasted almonds on top. The flavor is amazing against the soup. To toast, simply add as many almonds as desired to a toaster oven and toast just a few minutes until starting to brown. Watch closely so they don't burn. OR, alternatively, add them to a small pan over medium heat on the stove and cook a couple of minutes, stirring often, just until browned.
I love it when you throw meals together and they turn out amazing! It really is a gorgeous soup girl. You def are a tad crazy to be eating soup right now, but if you’re holed up in some AC I guess I can see it, LOL! And all the toasted almonds! I love the crunch they add to everything!!
Thanks so much girl! Hahaha, holed up is right! It is actually SO COLD in this tiny apartment, so soup feels perfectly normal as long as I’m inside, lol. Those toasted almonds seriously took this to the next level!
Why did my lentils come out mushy?
Hi Maritza! Red lentils are VERY different than regular green lentils. They have a more mushy soft texture, which is why they cook so fast and only need 10-15 mins. So make sure you don’t overcook them and are cooking them over low as noted. But they are definitely much softer and do not have that defined bite like traditional lentils.
I came in tired from work- with more work still to do. This recipe was perfect!! Quick and easy and ready in a flash. A definite addition to our weekly roster!! Easy , quick and flavorful! Hubby told me to make sure I do not lose this recipe. Thank you so much!!
Awesome Cindy! So glad you loved it! Thank you so much for making it. Would you mind clicking the star rating as well, thank you so much!
This looks delicious!
Thank you so much Lisa, it really is…and so fast and easy!
In the body of the post you mention that this recipe requires Chili Powder and Smoked Paprika, but neither ingredient is mentioned in the recipe. Was this a typo in the post? They seem like an odd pairing for red curry paste.
Thanks, and the recipe looks great and easy!
Oops, that was a typo on the chili powder, sorry about that, it’s fixed now! However, smoked paprika is in fact mentioned in the recipe. The actual typed out recipe is correct. I had accidentally put chili powder in the post because as I mentioned on the post, this was a jumping off point from my really old red lentil soup here on the blog (which used chili powder) 🙂 Just follow the written recipe, it is correct. Smoked paprika lends a wonderful smoky element. May sound odd, but it’s delicious! This is basically a red lentil soup with a curry kick for added depth of flavor, not meant to be like a true curry style recipe…for that, be sure to try my recent Thai Green Sweet Potato Curry! Enjoy Weston 🙂
https://thevegan8.com/2018/07/17/vegan-thai-green-sweet-potato-curry/
Was casually reading your post on my lunch break in my car when I read the ingredients and realized I had them all except spinach. I literally dropped my phone and squealed, realizing if I hauled butt at that very minute, I could conceivably make it to Costco to get spinach on the remaining time left on my work lunch break. So I did. The rest, as they say, is history. And the deliciousness from your recipe is sitting happily in my tummy as I type. It was so fast…hardest part was chopping the onion (yawn)…the flavor was amazing and we have leftovers for work lunches for later in the week. Next time I’m trying it with the red pepper flakes!
Yay, yay Marlene! Thank you SO much for making the soup so quickly and for taking the time to leave this awesome review. I appreciate it so much! So happy you loved it!!
Hi, this looks amazing! Do you think it would be good with mushroom broth??
Thanks
Hi Melissa, I have never tried mushroom broth since we don’t do mushrooms here (causes gout in hubby) and I don’t like mushrooms so I have no idea of the flavor, but I think if you love the flavor, then I don’t see why not!
Boy was this good!! I ended up using vegetable broth. So flavorful and hearty! The toasted almonds make all the difference.
So wonderful, thank you Melissa for coming back and letting me know!! If you get a chance to star rate it, that would be great, thank you!
This looks so good! I’d love to make it in the Instant Pot, I don’t suppose you have a rough idea how to do that?
Hi Lianne! No, I’m so sorry I’ve never used one so I don’t know how to operate one, but this soup is SUPER fast to make so it’s not really a major difference in time versus an instant pot, it’s only about 20 minutes total.
I made this recipe using green lentils in the instant pot and it was amazing, I also used kale instead of spinach.
Red lentils cook in about 6 minutes in a pressure cooker, so I would simply follow the instructions more or less as written and simply cook your soup for about six minutes in the first step (instead of simmering for 10 minutes), then add in the remaining ingredients, like spinach, and simmer for a few more minutes until cooked.
Hope that helps!
The recipe came to my email yesterday afternoon, when I had no idea what to cook for dinner. We had everything on hand already to make this, except for the fresh spinach. Threw in a box of frozen spinach instead and it was a wonderful, quick dinner.
Thank you so much Nan! I’m so happy you loved this, thank you so much for making it and leaving this review!
I’m a sort of secret follower as I never comment but use many of your recipes. This is soooooooo good. Delicious, nutritious and fast! Made it last night and took it to work for lunch today. Thanks again for another great recipe!
Can’t wait for your cookbook!
Yay Susan! So glad to hear you love this and use so many of my recipes, that means a lot! Thank you for leaving this wonderful review!
Dear Brandi,
I’m so excited to go out and buy some red curry paste and spinach!! (I know for certain my local HEB doesn’t carry red lentils)
Your enthusiasm and love of spicy flavorfulness inspire me!!!
I made this recipe with some ingredients I had on hand: “regular” (brown) lentils, curry powder, and frozen okra! It was super -easy, fun, and tasty! Allowing a full 40 minutes to cook the brown lentils also allowed the okra to become tender and absorb the spices!!!
Thanks for sharing your love, knowledge, and enthusiasm! !
Sincerely,
Mary from Texas
Haha, thank you Mary! I do love that kick of spice, so I’m glad you appreciate it 🙂 So glad you loved this! Your version sounds pretty different, but still delicious!
I just made this for lunch and it was delicious! The only thing I did differently was too dry sauté the onions first. I honestly think I could’ve eaten the entire recipe myself but I gained control and managed to stop eating. Definitely a keeper!
Awesome Wanda, so glad you loved it! Thank you so much for the review!!
What a beautiful soup! Definitely warrants breaking the no hot foods streak (plus bloggers are already getting into fall recipe mode and it’s weirding me out😳😂) I am no curry expert, but usually it’s cashews on top, yes? I love that you switched things up with almonds instead, and (unless blending them into a cheesecake or something sweet) always a big yes to toasted nuts for that extra flavor😋 Love the look of those lentils, my favorite legume probably not just for speediness but the texture once they cook is so yummy too. You really do have a way with the on a whim meals that end up blog worthy without even trying. It’s just your kitchen gift! Well that and brownies too ofc🙌🍫😂
Thank you Natalie! Haha, I know, I’ve already broke out the pumpkin lol! Yes, cashews are more typical on curries but since this is more of a soup with a curry flair, it’s not a traditional actual curry type of recipes, so I decided to throw some almonds on top roasted and OMG they were heavenly! I think I will be doing that quite often on all types of dishes. I love red lentils too because they are so quick, I don’t love their texture as much as green, but you sure can’t beat 10 minutes cooking time! Thanks girl!
This was so easy and delicious! A keeper for sure!
So glad to hear Sari!
Can this be frozen, even if red lentils take a short amount of cooking time? Our church is making freeze ahead meals for folks in emergency situations and it would be great to make this soup.
thanks
Hi Mak! I have not tried freezing it since I just created it this week but I don’t see why not!
Made this and it’s definitely a keeper! My 7 and 2 yr old loved it!
Wonderful Laura, so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for making it and even better that your young kids loved it, yay!
Dear Brandi, I just made your RESTAURANT QUALITY Lazy Red Lentil Curry Soup. This is the first recipe of yours I have tried…I am on vacation and finally have the time to cook a little. Man, is this ever great! I can’t wait to make more of your recipes. Best wishes, Sheila
Yay Sheila! Your review made me so happy to read! Thank you so much for sharing your pic on Facebook and posting this review, I appreciate it so much!
I made it into more of a stew by adding sweet potatoes and doubled the lentils. I cooked in the IP for 5 min NPR then added frozen kale at the end. It’s hard to believe how quickly and flavorful this is. Love the smoked paprika w the curry paste. I served it over rice. Super yummy and very helpful when I ran out of time for dinner. Thanks for a other quick dinner!
So glad it worked out in the IP and was still flavorful since you doubled the lentils, which I would think it would diminish the rich flavor, but happy to hear it was still yummy! Awesome!
Hey Brandi,
Just wanted to say that I follow your blog, I am an omnivore BUT I cook vegan for my spouse…I do lots and lots of cooking…LOL, anyway made this recipe today and it is freakin awesome, no changes made as written. This is a staple in our house. Thanks!!!!
Yay! That’s so awesome to hear Lee! So glad you loved it so much!
Hi 🙂 this looks so good and I really want to make it today. One question though, can I use Indian curry paste? To me it seems more logical, because I make lots of dahls etc.. But I have some Thai curry paste too, so I should go for that in this recipe? Thanks in advance for your help😊
Kind regards
Hi Joanne! I would use what I’ve listed here, the Thai Red Curry paste since that’s what was tested and I know to have turned out amazing. Since you already have Thai curry paste, red I assume? Then that is what I recommend. All readers have absolutely loved it, as you can see from the reviews above, so I promise it works well!
I made this today while my baby napped, and it was spectacular! This is easily my new favorite soup recipe – it’s so quick and easy to make, yet it tastes like it simmered for hours. I added the toasted almonds, and they provided the perfect balance of crunch and additional flavor. I love your recipes! ❤️
This is a terrific recipe! Lots of strong flavors and it was easy to put together.
Wonderful Laura, so very happy to hear you loved it!
This soup is absolutely delicious. It was so easy to put together. So yummy I may have to eat several bowls of it. Thank you so much! 😊
I’m so very happy to hear how much you enjoyed this Betty!! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This soup had so much flavor ! I only trust you and hotforfood on vegan recipes. My girls loved it!
That is such a huge compliment, thank you Laura! I know hot for food focuses on really decadent comfort foods, so that’s so kind! So glad you enjoyed the soup!
This was very good and and so easy. I didn’t add the almonds but I wish I had. I am definitely going to make this again. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for the review Debra, so happy you loved it! Yes, the almonds aren’t crucial, but they just add an extra layer of flavor and texture!
Yum yum yum!! Just had this for dinner. Loved it! It is definitely going to be a regular go to meal for me.
That is awesome Marion, I’m so glad to hear how much you enjoyed this!
It was 83 degrees in So Cal today but I just couldn’t wait to try this soup. I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients on-hand! It came together so fast and was super yummy! I loved the depth of flavor the red curry gave and my husband picked up on the smoky flavor of the paprika. My 12 year old didn’t like the spinach but he ate it anyways. Thank you Brandi!
Haha! I love that he ate it anyways! So glad it was a hit, thank you Alice for making it!
I must be crazy making this soup in August in Arizona, but I couldn’t resist! It did not disappoint! I’m so glad that I doubled the recipe because my husband and teenager went back for seconds. It is soooo good. Definitely will be a staple during the fall/winter in our house.
Haha! I think we are all crazy because this soup has been my most popular for a few weeks now! It will be so great for the cooler weather too. And going back for seconds is the ultimate compliment, so glad it was a hit!!
As much as I love and trust your recipes, I was a little leery of this because I wasn’t sure that the limited number of ingredients could result in a full-flavored soup but I wanted something easy and nutritious and love all the ingredients, so I made it, exactly as you posted, even down to the toasted slivered almonds. OMG! This is going to be a frequent repeater. Our taste buds were doing the happy dance. Amazing. It’s like a Thai version of an Indian dal.
We served it with some dumplings and grilled shishito peppers (our new love, thanks to Sprouts carrying them) with a dipping sauce of nondairy yogurt, soy sauce, and Siracha. Fruit for dessert. One of the best lunches I ever had!
Oh wow, I want to come to your house for lunch Ellen! Haha! Your side of shishito peppers and dipping sauce sounds divine! And I’m so very thrilled to hear how much y’all loved this soup! You know I’m big on flavor, so I was ecstatic with how it turned out with such minimal and ease of ingredients. Thanks for making it!
Hey! This looks delicious and is definitely going on my to-make list. However I don’t have vegetable broth/stock powder so is there a combination of spices/seasoning you recommend to replace that? Or just use entirely water?
Thank you!
Hi Philia! No, I don’t. I don’t make homemade broth powders, it’s just easier to buy broth. I wouldn’t replace it with water since 3 cups are used, which is a large amount and water will dilute the flavor. Low-sodium veggie broth is sold at every type of grocery store and it’s very inexpensive, so I would just pick some up for best results!
I made this soup and it was amazing! My husband and daughter ate it at different times (we all have different work schedules) and commented how good it was! Did you hear that? My meat eating husband loved it! One of my daughters is away at college and is vegan. I ordered all the ingredients online and had them mailed to her as this is the perfect, simple, yet flavorful recipe that she can throw together in 10 minutes! Can’t wait to hear how she likes it! Thank you!
Thank you so much Michelle for this amazing review! So happy everybody loved it!
will this recipe work in a crockpot?
Hi Mari, I really don’t think it’s a good idea since red lentils would likely turn to mush. Also, the recipe is incredibly fast to make, like 20 minutes, so a crockpot isn’t really necessary for this kind of recipe.
This soup is unbelievable. SO easy yet tastes like it was complicated. I’m not a very good cook but this recipe makes me seem extremely skilled. It is in our regular rotation and we have it at least 3 times a month.
Such a lovely review, thank you so much Becca! I’m so glad you love it!
I made this EXACTLY as your recipe calls for (even though I’m a recipe rebel!) and it is magnificent! Per your recommendation, I added red chili flakes too. So filling and satisfying! Serve with your spiced rice, and/or some crusty bread! Thanks for sharing your amazing 8 ingredient vegan recipes! Keep up the fantastic work!
So so happy you loved this soup Tammy, thank you so very much for making it!!
This soup is amazing! I followed the recipe exactly the first time and loved it. The second time I had to adjust it slightly due to ingredients on hand and it still turned out awesome. My adjustments were as follows: I increased red lentils to 1 3/4 cups, increased to 4 cups low sodium vege broth plus some extra water, increased to 1/2 white onion diced (I love onion), increase the garlic and smoked paprika closer to 2 tsp, but only added 2 teaspoons of red curry (hubby used it all) and left out the spinach. Lastly, I did NOT cook the lentils an extra 3-5 minutes after adding the curry paste because they were already very soft. Everything else stayed the same. It was AMAZING! I can’t stop “testing” it! Another recipe I’m sure all my non-vegan friends will be asking for. Lol
I’m so glad to hear how much you loved the soup Julie, as written, and with your adjustments due to your pantry, sounds wonderful!!