This Red Lentil Cauliflower Soup with curry is flavorful, hearty and packed with nutritious ingredients. It's the perfect cozy recipe to warm you up on a cold day.
Inspired by Indian cuisine, this cauliflower and lentil soup is full of flavor due to the aromatic spices like curry, cumin, and coriander. If you've been craving something "curry-ish" but still want the comfort of soup, this recipe is a delicious option.
This healthy cauliflower soup is hearty, gluten-free and can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan.
If you prefer lentil soups without curry, try this quick and easy Lebanese Red Lentil Soup, it's a delicious budget-friendly meal.
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How to Make it
Below is an overview of the ingredients and steps to making a pot of this lentil soup. Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the quantities and full directions.
Ingredients Overview
- Olive oil and butter
- Red lentils: Be sure to use red split lentils for faster cooking.
- Onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño and fresh ginger
- Curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, salt and black pepper
- Chicken stock: For a vegetarian or vegan soup use vegetable broth.
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Cauliflower
- Fresh lemon or lime juice
- Fresh cilantro
Possible Variations
- Though I used chicken broth in this recipe, you could easily use vegetable broth instead to make this a vegetarian or vegan soup.
- I used hot curry powder because I like spicy food, but if you prefer something with less heat use a milder curry.
- Reduce the broth by one cup and add about one and a half cups of creamy coconut milk for a creamier soup.
- Purée about ⅓ of the soup and combine it with the remainder of the soup.
- If you really enjoy the flavour of cilantro you can add some to the pot of soup just before you purée it in the blender, it's so delicious!
Steps Overview
- In a large pot, heat the oil and melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté the aromatics until they begin to get translucent.
- Add the minced garlic, jalapeno and grated ginger, and cook stirring until softened, about a couple of minutes.
- Add in the spices, cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the can of tomatoes, the broth, rinsed lentils and the cauliflower florets to the soup pot.
- Bring it all to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer the soup for approximately 25 minutes.
- When the cauliflower and lentils are well cooked, add two tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the cilantro. Check the soup for seasoning, and add more salt or pepper if needed.
- If puréeing the soup, carefully transfer it in batches (I like using a large ladle) to a blender.
- Purée soup until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the pot.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this soup with warm crusty bread or naan. You could also serve this soup with a dollop of yogurt or crème fraiche. And if you're looking to serve this cauliflower lentil soup as part of a larger meal you can serve it with these Indian style Yogurt Marinated Chicken Breasts.
Storage Instructions
Store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze the soup, store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat the soup over medium-low heat. If you like, you could re-blend the soup with an immersion blender or in a blender for a silky smooth lentil and cauliflower soup.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. The easiest way to make a soup thicker is to start by using less broth in the recipe.
2. Purée all or part the soup.
3. You could also add more cooked lentils, rice or potatoes. Simply cook them separately and add to the pot of soup. If desired, you can blend the soup with an immersion blender (stick blender) or in a blender.
4. Stir in a bit of cream, yogurt or coconut milk for a richer consistency.
Yes. Red lentils are very nutritious and contain a high amount of fibre and protein and are low in fat and calories.
No. Lentils are high in net carbs they are not suitable for a strict keto diet.
If you love curried lentil soups, be sure to check out this recipe for Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup.
More Delicious Soups to Try
- Cauliflower, Kale and Leek Soup
- Creamy Leek and Potato Soup
- Easy Black Bean Soup
- Healthy Asparagus Soup
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Have you made this recipe? Let us know how it turned out! Leave a star rating and a comment below, we'd love to hear from you.
Red Lentil Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup red lentils picked over and rinsed
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves medium garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 2 tsp. fresh ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 398 ml can diced tomatoes
- 3 cups cauliflower florets chopped
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro washed and chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil and melt the butter together in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the onions and cook stirring a few times until they begin to get translucent, add the minced garlic, jalapeno and grated ginger, and cook stirring until softened, about a couple of minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, curry, turmeric and salt and cook stirring until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the canned diced tomatoes and their juices, the chicken (or vegetable) broth, the lentils and the chopped cauliflower florets.
- Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and simmer the soup for about 25 minutes, stirring often so that the lentils don't stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
- When the cauliflower and lentils are well cooked, add the 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and the freshly ground pepper.
- Transfer the soup in batches to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour the soup back into the saucepan and if desired you can adjust the consistency of the soup with more broth or water. Garnish the soup with the chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To freeze the soup, store it in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 to 4 months. Thaw soup overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat soup over medium-low heat.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 9, 2014. The post has been updated with new text and images.
LB says
This recipe is great, fresh and delicious! I didn’t have a jalapeños so I added 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes.
Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Amanda says
This soup looks delicious!!!
sweetandsavourypursuits says
Thanks Amanda!