One Pot Creamy Carrot Lentil Soup

Trying a new recipe and, of course, I had to alter it a bit. The result is a real keeper. I suspect I will also use it as a base for further experimentation. I foresee curry leaves, mustard seeds, and a chili when I try this next time.

This recipe for One Pot Creamy Carrot Lentil Soup was found on betterhomebase.com via Pinterest.

I amended the recipe to fit my ingredients at hand and our tastes. I also changed the cooking instructions to work with my split red lentils (masoor dal) which cook more quickly than the carrots.

INGREDIENTS

Enough olive oil to glaze the bottom of my soup pot.

1 large red onion, chopped

3 TSP garlic, minced

1 TSP ground cumin

3/4 TSP ground coriander

1/2 TSP smoked paprika

6 thin carrots, peeled and diced*

1 cup split red lentils, rinsed

4 vegetable bouillon cubes (the kind that require 1 cup water per cube)

1 can of coconut milk, 13.5 oz GV WM brand

1/2 TSP Ground black pepper

3/4 TSP Salt 

Water as needed: See instructions below

Unlike the instructions for the recipe I went with what works best for me. 

One soup pot, a cutting board, and a knife

I started by sautéing the onion in olive oil until soft and beginning to brown.

Then I added in 3 TSP of minced garlic, mixing well, and keeping the heat at medium.

I peeled and sliced the carrots and added just enough water to the pot to cover them by an inch or two. As they were small, it took about 15 minutes to cook nicely.

Then I added all the spice except the salt, followed by the lentils and plenty of water. Split red lentils cook very quickly and absorb a lot of water so I kept an eye on the pot adding small amounts of water if it appeared to thicken too much. I put in the minimum water needed to cook the split lentils which required less than 10 minutes to break down.

Then I added the salt and an entire 13.5 oz can of coconut milk. It took about 3 minutes to bring the soup back up to full heat. Then I removed the pot from the hot surface and served with warm garlic naan.

Unlike the original recipe, I did not blend or puree this soup. 

As is, the taste bud heat factor is ZERO and I think a little heat will compliment this dish. Next time, I'll add a single whole dried fingerling chili to the pot or a bit of cayenne.

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The original recipe calls for the following ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

4 medium carrots peeled and diced

1 cup red lentils rinsed

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup coconut milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

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*Since the economy began tanking earlier in 2025 and migrant workers have begun to disappear, produce in America has taken a major hit. It isn't just the ever rising prices that are the problem. The supplies have been reduced overall and the quality has changed. 

In the US we aren't accustomed to wonky veg sold at the grocery store, just at the farmer's markets. Stores generally have standards that require a certain ripeness level and appearance. Due to shortages of product and less harvest staff and even transport problems, these customary standards have been dropped. 

Higher prices leaves produce on the shelves longer resulting in rot. What does arrive has a myriad of problems. Most of the blueberries now have stems. Corn is so expensive and the ears are at different ripeness levels. Veg arrives bruised or nearly rotten in some instances, especially potatoes. On the other end, some veg like my carrots this week are thin and spindly, taken too soon from the ground.

Onions here in the south have taken a hit from the weather and harvest staff problems. Our once treasured Vidalia onions, are no longer sweet, and worse, they are hollow. They lack firmness overall. Cutting into them, the layers have gaps between and they tend to rot very quickly.

If produce weren't so expensive I'd suggest throwing tomatoes and more at the Republicans responsible for this situation. Otherwise, I'd start with the orange shite and toss rotten oranges and pumpkin guts at him.

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I was hesitant to add this to my CHEAP EATS category as the coconut milk is  $2.12 a can at my local WM. But it results in about 6 servings of soup and is packed with veg, fat, and some decent protein and fiber. Serve over rice to stretch the dish. 

TOTAL RECIPE NUTRITION FACTS FOR THIS POT OF SOUP

Veg: About 4 cups of carrots, onion, and garlic with 300 calories and 3 grams of protein, 2-3 grams of fiber all together, plus vitamins.

Coconut Milk 3 g; 45-50 grams of protein in one dry cup. Fat: 81 grams of fat in a whole can of GV WM coconut milk. Lite options of coconut are available and milk, cream, or plant milks can sub for the coconut milk to reduce the fat content. For the regular GV WM coconut milk, it also had 800 calories for the can and 6 grams of protein. 

Lentils: Over 500 calories, 28 grams of fiber, 50-60 grams of protein

1600 calories, 30 grams of fiber, over 80 grams of fat, around 60 grams of protein for the pot of soup.