Indian Lentil soup – simply the most incredible lentil soup ever. Made with red lentils and the addition of apple to take things to the next level. Gluten-Free and Vegan.
Coming across a winning soup recipe is like winning a mini lottery to me. My eyes lit up and I could skip and dance with joy.
No joke.
You know how much I love soups with my recent posts proclaiming my love for creamy vegan zucchini soup, creamy pumpkin soup, creamy broccoli soup, you name it.
Especially since I just recently got my lower wisdom teeth removed I have an even deeper appreciation now for soup. If not for creamy soups I simply would have starved during my week on a strictly liquid diet.
While I always fantasized about committing to a 2 or 3 day juice cleanse I can now with full honesty say I would never be able to complete it. Even with my wisdom teeth removed and not being able to eat solid food I could not survive on juice or smoothies alone.
I would be flat out starving. To the point that I thought I might just faint if I didn’t have some sustenance.
Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration.
But seriously, I do not know how people can go on the juice cleanses or water fasts. Definitely absolutely for sure not for me.
Creamy soup diet though, that I could handle.
And that’s exactly how I was able to make it through the liquid wisdom teeth diet.
With lots and lots of creamy dreamy soup.
And this one right here, this vegan Indian lentil soup recipe is the ultimate winner. I rarely mix and match fruit and veggies. I like to keep them separate.
Fruit by itself or with sweets and veggies/lentils with the rest of the savory ingredients in their own category.
When I saw this Indian lentil soup recipe though I knew I needed to make it asap. Red lentils and apples together in one recipe? Um yes, absolutely need to try this out immediately. I was intrigued and I had to see how this was going to turn out. I mean who has thought to put red lentils and apples together in one recipe?
And just as I suspected it was simply the best soup evaa. You won’t even be able to tell there are apples in the soup. They just add a soft creamy mushiness to the mix and really compliment the vibrant red lentils very well.
With the various spices and coconut milk, this vegan Indian lentil soup with apples is perfectly spiced and just the aromas themselves will have you drooling for me. Now this is far from an authentic Indian lentil soup recipe – I highly doubt that one has apples in it, but I felt that with all of the spices that I was using I could safely title this as an Indian lentil soup recipe.
Seriously, this Indian lentil soup is my new favorite soup recipe. Make a large batch as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.
Oh and the red lentils are so cute themselves. Smaller than the other lentils and cook faster too.
You can puree the Indian lentil soup in a blender or leave it chunky as is. I actually prefer it chunky – I love the mix of all the different ingredients coming together and love taking a small bite into the apples and lentils.
I’ll leave that one up to you though. Let me know which way you prefer?
Looking for more soup inspiration? Check out these recipes:
- Vegan Thai Lentil Rice Soup {GF, DF}
- Split Pea Soup {GF, DF}
- 10 Gluten Free Vegan Soup Recipes
- Vegan Chili with Squash {GF, DF}
How to make my Indian lentil soup
Simply the most incredible Indian lentil soup ever. Made with red lentils and the addition of apple to take things to the next level. Gluten-Free and Vegan.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red chili diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 onions diced
- 2 apples peeled and diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoons minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1 1/2 cup red lentils
- 6-7 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
-
Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat and add the chili, carrots, and onions. Cook for about a few minutes until softened.. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic.
-
Add the apples, ginger, cumin, red pepper flaked, turmeric, salt and coriander.
-
Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Mix and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until the lentil become soft. Mix occasionally.
-
Once the lentils are cooked add the coconut milk bring to a boil and remove from heat.
-
Optional - use and immersion blender or blender to make the soup smooth and creamy.
Recipe Adapted from Eat Good 4 Life
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
I can image the apple and coconut milk make this so ceamy and delish.
Vicky says
They most certainly do : ))
Ordinary Blogger (Rivki Locker) says
Ouch, you poor thing. I’m so glad you have soups to keep you nourished!
I came across your blog today on the Wednesday Roundup and am so glad I did! This looks wonderful. Tooth pain or not! 🙂 I look forward to following your posts.
Vicky says
Thanks for stopping by! Thankfully the tooth pain is finally over! After 9 days of a full on liquid diet it felt amazing to finally be able to eat real food! And when I could crunch on some chips by day 14 I was ecstatic!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
I definitely will be adding apple next time I make a soup.. great idea!
Vicky says
Thanks! It’s incredible how much flavor the green apples really add! Highly recommend adding some to your next lentil soup
Miz Helen says
We are going to love this soup and can’t wait to try it! Thank you so much for sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday and hope you are having a fantastic weekend!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen
Vicky says
It’s definitely one of my new favorite soups! Never would have guessed that apple would be such a great addition to a lentil soup but it truly is!
Amanda - A Cookie Named Desire says
Oh. My. Gosh. Can I just reach through the computer and give you the biggest hug ever? Because I think I am totally in love with you (I mean this soup, of course) I am so, so, so in love with soup and I am adoring this lentil/apple combination. I am definitely more of a chunky soup lover, so I will definitely be trying it that way!
Vicky says
Haha thanks so much! The lentil apple combination is incredible! I never ever would have guessed apples could go well in a savory soup but to my surprise they do! I’m sure you’ll love this soup!!
Ingrid says
I made this last night and I agree it is absolutely delicious! I have made a very tasty red lentil soup before with plum tomatoes and dried apricots, but I like this recipe much more! I will be making this again for sure! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Vicky says
So glad you liked it!! Thanks for stopping by to comment and let me know : ))
Floggie says
Oh gosh, this recipe looks amazing! Apples in a soup? It seems so warm and comforting. I’ll try it as soon as possibile. Thank you very much for sharing. 🙂
Vicky says
Thanks! I know – who would have thought apples could go so well in a soup?! Just love it!
Calla says
This looks delicious! I’m just wondering – I’m allergic to coconut milk. Do you know of a substitute for the coconut milk, or would you just recommend skipping it for this recipe?
Vicky says
Feel free to use a bit of heavy cream (if you are not vegan) or an alternative dairy free milk — perhaps a non sweetened almond milk would work as well. Hope that helps!
Cindy (Vegetarian Mamma) says
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂 I can’t wait to see what you share this week! Its LIVE!
Cindy
Mariah says
I believe I used the adjective, “life-changing,” to describe this soup. It is amazing!
However, I have a question. It can be difficult to find a red chile in my neck of the woods, do you have any recommendations for a chile substitution??
Thanks!
Vicky says
Hi Mariah! So glad you loved the soup!!! I’m flattered. Instead of a red chili you could use crushed red pepper flakes, or a few splashes of hot sauce, like Sriracha, Asian chili sauce, or even a standard Tobasco. Just a little bit of something to add some heat.
Mariah says
Oops. I forgot to rate the recipe!
Vicky says
Thanks for rating it : ))
Steve Lassoff says
This sounds and looks amazing! I have shared this in a blog here: http://wedigfood.com/food-for-thought/10-vegan-apple-recipes-for-fall. I am building a community of vegans and would love for you to hop over and share a recipe.
Vicky says
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! Would love to check out your site : ))
Valerie says
Hi, can you freeze this soup please? I’m just about to make it but it’s only me who will be eating it… Thanks
Vicky says
I have never frozen this soup before but I think it should freeze just fine. Let me know how it turns out!
dru says
Super delicious, thank you! I did not blend it as I wanted the lentils still whole. I had to cook the soup for more like 45-50 minutes for them to get soft. It’s a bit spicy for me so I added a dollop of plain greek yogurt, which made it even better.
Vicky says
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! I’m surprised it took so long to cook – usually red lentils cook very quickly. Great idea to add a bit of Greek yogurt into the mix!
Dru says
Ahah! They weren’t the red. I think I only had light brown. I’ve just remade it with red (pink) ones and they cooked actually quicker than the time posted. Thanks again,
Vicky says
Ah that explains yet! Yes the red ones really do cook super fast compared to all the others!
Jane says
I am hoping to make this for a group that includes people who don’t eat spicy foods. Would it work without the chili pepper and the pepper flakes? would you suggest any substitutions that would be flavorful but not spicy?
Vicky says
Yes the recipe will definitely still work without the chili pepper and pepper flakes. If the group doesn’t like spicy foods definitely omit those two ingredients! The soup will still be super flavorful!
Barb says
Very tasty! I used a cubanelle pepper (not hot). With the red pepper flakes the heat was just right. Wouldn’t want it any hotter. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Vicky says
So happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe!