Do you also have a go-to soup that you can just whip up any time when you short on dinner ideas?

This lentil coconut soup is my go-to meal – nutritious, warming vegan bowl of goodness that is so easy to prepare with the ingredients I bet you have in the fridge. My kids are absolutely in love with it, so I often make it when I want us all to have a nourishing meal or when we are out for a date and I want to be sure they eat their dinner nicely with a baby-sitter!

Ingredients

1/2 cup of chopped leek (or 1 medium onion)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 1/4 c soaked lentils (see notes)

3/4 c millet soaked (see notes)

1 medium sweet potato, cubbed

1 tsp ground coriander 

1 tsp turmeric 

1.5 tsp ground sweet red pepper 

2 tsp cumin

1 x 400g canned tomatoes

2- 2.5 liters of water (you can sub half with a veggie stock)

2 carrots, grated

1/2 zucchini, chopped

1.5 tsp salt (or more to taste)

fresh black pepper

1 tsp apple cider or squeeze lemon

1/3 cup canned coconut milk

optional: 1 veggie cube stock, fresh coriander, 1 tbsp tomato puree

Method

1. Soak the lentils and millet in 2 sparate pots for at least 30 minutes. Then, rinse off and measure the amounts needed. If you’re short on time, be sure you at least rinse them well a few times (this is to clean the pulses and grains a bit and ease their digestion; we want to get rid of some of the phytic acid that can cause bloating or impair nutrient absorption).
2. Add garlic and leek/ onion to warmed up pot. Sprinkle with salt and stir a few times; cover and let it soften on a low heat.
3. Next, add the sweet potato and all the spices- mix well and leave on heat for 1-2 minutes for the spices to become more fragnant.
4. Add water (or water and veggie stock; start with 2 litres), canned tomatoes, lentils and millet together with salt and pepper. If using a stock cube, add it now also. Stir well, cover with a lid and leave it to simmer on a medium heat for around 15 minutes.
5. When the sweet potato and lentils are a bit softer, add the zucchini (or other veggie of choice) and the grated carrot (you don’t want to add them right at the start, as they would be overcooked). Mix all well and add the apple cider or lemon juice.
6. Next, adjust the flavors- add more cumin and coriander for earthy spicy taste and more salt if needed. Also at this point, If you want more of a tomato rich flavor, add a heaped tablespoon of tomato paste.
7. Within another 10-15 minutes, lentils and millet should be nicely cooked and soup should double in volume. Add more hot water if you need to thin it out.
8. Serve warm with extra spoon of coconut milk or fresh coriander. It will keep in the fridge for a few days and can easily be frozen. Enjoy!