Curried Lentil, Potato, Cauliflower and Spinach Soup

Lately, I have been on the hunt for lentil recipes.  After picking some up at Sunflower Market last week, I realized just how easy, filling and economical they can be.  And with my organic Bountiful Basket overflowing with veggies this week, I didn’t want any of them to go to waste.  This soup turned out to be the perfect combo!
Lentils are legumes that cook up relatively quickly and absorb the flavors of whatever they are cooked with.  They come in many colors, but the lentils you find at the store will probably be either red or green/brown.  At 230 calories per cooked cup, lentils pack a nutritional punch with 16 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein and 6.6mg of iron (37% of your daily needs).
This soup takes all of that beautiful lentil nutrition and adds in a ton of veggies.  Potatoes, cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes, celery.  Don’t be scared of the curry flavor, it is nice and mild.  Of course you could always add more if you prefer a stronger curry influence.

Curried Lentil, Potato, Cauliflower & Spinach Soup

Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 stalks celery trimmed and diced
  • 1 cup brown/green lentils rinsed
  • 6 cups filtered water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 large potatoes scrubbed and diced
  • 16 oz. can salt-free diced tomatoes undrained
  • 2 tsp. curry powder or more or less to taste
  • 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 head cauliflower finely chopped
  • 2 cups fresh spinach finely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.  Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat until translucent.  Add the garlic and saute until both are golden.
  • Add lentils, celery, garlic, onion and bay leaves.  Cover with 6 cups water.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer.  Simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Add potatoes, tomatoes, curry powder and turmeric.  Simmer for 15 minutes.
  • Add cauliflower and simmer 20 minutes longer.
  • Stir in spinach, cilantro, lemon juice, nutmeg and salt & pepper.
  • Simmer over very low heat for another 5 minutes.
Recipe adapted from savvyvegetarian.com
What is your favorite way to use lentils?

 

  • Chow and Chatter January 20, 2011 at 4:54 am

    wonderful soup like dal 🙂

  • Jessica & Tracie January 20, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    I have everything except the lentils! haha maybe we'll try this one next week! It looks SOOO good! Does it freeze well do you know? When I make soup I like to make a double batch and freeze half for when I dont feel like cooking!

  • Jessica & Tracie January 20, 2011 at 4:03 pm

    I have everything except the lentils! haha maybe we'll try this one next week! It looks SOOO good! Does it freeze well do you know? When I make soup I like to make a double batch and freeze half for when I dont feel like cooking!

  • fittoindulge.com January 21, 2011 at 3:10 am

    I love new soup ideas in the winter. I just whipped up a lentil salad tonight– with cumin, olive oil, lemon juice, and lots of garlic.

    P.S. I nominated you for the Stylish Blogger Award. I hope you'll accept and pay it forward 🙂

  • Ange January 23, 2011 at 9:42 pm

    This recipe looks so amazing! I love making up a soup every week and this will be my "one" this week.
    Thanks!

  • FitMamaEats January 30, 2011 at 12:52 am

    Can't wait to make this, thanks for sharing!

  • martha@simple-nourished-living February 4, 2011 at 4:13 am

    I most often use lentils to make soup. I love soup all during the year, but especially during the Winter. We eat it several times a week. It's a great nourishing satisfying way to eat lots of vegetables!

  • Amie July 11, 2011 at 1:03 am

    Too funny. I got my Bountiful Basket this week and decided the cauliflower and spinach needed some lentils. Googled those ingredients and ended up here. Thanks for a very tasty meal 🙂

    My usual favorite is Italian lentil soup, but my family liked this recipe better.

  • Alysa July 11, 2011 at 5:02 am

    Amie, thanks for the reminder. I totally forgot to put this on my list for the week with the BB haul!! 🙂 Glad you found it!

  • A Spoonful of YUMM ! July 11, 2011 at 6:28 am

    love it ! dal is my fav way to use lentils 😀

  • Cee July 22, 2011 at 3:36 am

    I just love to use lentils. I hadn't planned to when googling the ingredients I wanted to use in a soup so this has been a lovely surprise. I loved your soup. I need to find a better curry powder now – that will make it exquisite.

  • Lisa January 13, 2012 at 4:35 pm

    Wow, this is so good! I made a double batch, minus the cauliflower (didn’t have any) and we ate it for lunch today. My husband bought a cauliflower, so I’m going to steam it and add it to the soup to sit overnight, and then take it to potluck tomorrow at church. That way I don’t have to cook twice today–good thing, too, because I ended up making my allergic-to-nearly-everything son some crackers, and I wasn’t planning on doing that. But this is definitely a soup I’ll be making again.

  • Chelsey @ Chew With Your Mouth Open January 22, 2012 at 1:52 pm

    Mmmm, curry AND lentils. Sounds so good! A perfect Sunday meal.