If you’re looking for a warming, nourishing dinner recipe that comes together in just 30-minutes, this Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup recipe is it!
The past few weeks I’ve been craving all the cozy meals, but they have to be quick. I just don’t have the capacity to stand over the stove for an hour waiting for dinner to cook… Anyone else?!
Cue this Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup. This soup is the perfect mix between warming and comforting but also super nourishing. It’s packed with plant-based protein and nutrients to help you feel energized and your absolute best.
I’ve been making a conscious effort to include more lentils into my weekly eating pattern because they’re packed with plant-based iron. As someone who is vegan, someone who menstruates, and a runner, my iron needs are relatively high, and I always want to make sure I’m getting the nutrients I need!
About 3/4 cup of cooked lentils has 5 mg of iron in it. Want to make sure you absorb that iron well? Pair plant-based iron with vitamin C! Vitamin C has been shown to increase the amount of non-heme iron that we absorb from food six fold! This could be as simple as pairing iron-rich foods like lentils, black beans, dark leafy greens, tofu or tempeh with red bell pepper, broccoli, kale, lemon, lime, or strawberries. I’ve added lemon juice to this soup to boost the absorption of the plant-based iron!
If you’re interested in learning more about how to make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need on a partial or total plant-based diet, how much of each nutrient you need, how to get them easily and simply, and whether supplements might be necessary, I highly recommend taking my program, Thriving on Plant-Based Fundamentals. I teach you everything you need to know to thrive on a plant-based diet, and enrolment for the January 2021 cohort opens on January 1, 2021. It’s the perfect way to kick off the new year. Add your name to the waitlist to be the first to know when enrolment opens!
Why You’ll Love this Creamy Vegan Lentil Soup:
- It’s warming and comforting while still being packed with nutritious foods like lentils, carrots, sweet potato, celery and ginger.
- You probably already have all the ingredients on hand- This truly is a pantry staples meal!
- It comes together in just 30 minutes, meaning it’s perfect for weeknights and is a great meal prep staple.
- Your kids are bound to love it as well. If you have babies or toddlers, you could cook it until most of the liquid is cooked off and serve as more of a stew or curry.
- You can enjoy it on its own, or with a slice of crusty bread on the side.
Main Ingredients
Green lentils: Lentils are packed with plant-based protein, iron, and fiber. They also cook quickly compared to other legumes, making them the perfect staple for weeknight meals. I’ve used green lentils in this recipe, but feel free to use whatever type of lentils you like and have on hand. Note that red lentils will become mushy in this soup and won’t hold their shape, but are still fine to use.
Vegetables: I’ve included sweet potato, carrots, and celery in this soup. They give this soup a really nice flavor and some important nutrients and boost of fiber!
Coconut Milk: Coconut milk gives a creaminess to this soup, and don’t worry, there isn’t a strong coconut flavor! If you don’t want to use coconut milk, though, you could sub with more vegetable stock and blend together 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds or cashews and some water to make a sunflower seed or cashew cream to add some creaminess.
Spices: I’ve used earthy herbs like thyme and rosemary in this soup, as well as the classic garlic and onion to flavor, of course!
Ginger: Whenever I want a meal to feel extra cozy and warming I add ginger! Ginger adds a slight warm spiciness and is also great for digestion.
How to make this Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup
- Add a splash of avocado oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once heated, sauté diced onion and minced garlic over medium heat until the onion is translucent.
- Add diced carrots, celery and sweet potato, lentils, dried thyme, dried rosemary, minced ginger, salt, and pepper. Sauté to combine.
- Add coconut milk and vegetable stock. Mix to combine and increase heat to bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add lid to pot.
- Simmer for 25-30 minutes until lentils are cooked and sweet potato is fork tender. Finish with lemon juice, serve and enjoy!
Nourish to Thrive 2021 January Challenge
There are only a couple of days left to join the Nourish to Thrive 2021 January Challenge!
It’s a four-week challenge starting January 4th where I share tons of plant-based tips and tricks, encouragement, and expertise to help you feel your absolute best coming into the new year. I developed it to combat all the diet messaging that we’re inundated with in the new year, to instead focus on what we’re adding to our eating pattern rather than taking away to help you feel more energized, nourished, and confident in your plant-based journey. And no, you don’t need to be vegan or vegetarian to join the challenge! It’s for everyone. With the challenge you get:
- A 30+ page PDF filled with the four weekly challenges, plant-based tips and tricks, and personal reflections
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The best part? It’s just $10! Basically the price of one holiday Starbucks drink, so it’s kind of a no-brainer to join! Join the challenge now- I can’t wait to have you!
Okay, now back to the Creamy Coconut Lentil Soup!
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! Make sure you leave me a rating and review if you try it out, and tag me in your photos on Instagram or Pinterest!
Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup
This Creamy Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup is the perfect mix of comforting, warming and nutritious and comes together in just 30-minutes. Plus, you probably already have most of the ingredients on hand in your pantry!
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- 1 can coconut milk
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 1 sweet potato diced
- 1 cup green lentils uncooked
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
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Add a splash of avocado oil to a large pot over medium heat.
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Once heated, sauté diced onion and minced garlic over medium heat until the onion is translucent.
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Add diced carrots, celery and sweet potato, lentils, dried thyme, dried rosemary, minced ginger, salt, and pepper. Sauté to combine.
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Add coconut milk and vegetable stock. Mix to combine and increase heat to bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Add lid to pot.
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Simmer for 25-30 minutes until lentils are cooked and sweet potato is fork tender. Finish with lemon juice, serve and enjoy!
Enroll in the Thriving in Veganuary 2021 Challenge now!
To learn how to thrive on a plant-based diet, check out my online program! The waitlist is now open for January 2021 enrollment for Thriving on Plant-Based Fundamentals! Enrollment opens January 1, 2021.
Looking for more plant-based recipes? Get my favorite soup recipes exclusively in my e-cookbook, Everyday Vegan Soup!
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A family favorite! Literally everyone in the household loved this soup! It was so satisfying I refilled my bowl for multiple servings. Prep was very minimal and quick, then cook time was only 25 minutes! Definitely will be saving and sharing this recipe – Thank you, Lauren!
I’m so happy to hear that, Angela! Thank you for letting me know 🙂