Green Lentil Soup with Curry, Brown Butter and Coconut Milk

I am so happy to be home.

I know I’ve shared this sentiment already since arriving home from our last trip south but it’s a sentiment I’m reminded of over and over. Home means being able to walk around town making eye contact with all that pass by with added nods, smiles or hellos. I’m enjoying not having to drive often but when I do it’s not far. Wild spaces are easier to access. I love that people in my community know and care about me; my local librarian recently put a cookbook behind the counter for me, knowing that I’d love it.

The cookbook was Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson. I’ve previously enjoyed another of her cookbooks, Super Natural Cooking and I love Super Natural Everyday even more. We’ve had a couple weeks of eating out of this new cookbook and I think my family would agree that I need to buy it.

This was the first recipe I tried. Working with what I had on hand, I used split peas instead of lentils and green onions instead of chives. Like all the recipes in this cookbook, it was easy to make and wowed my family with flavour. Here’s what I did:

Green Lentil Soup with Curry, Brown Butter and Coconut Milk

• 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter or Coconut Oil
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 1/2 – 1 tsp Garlic Chili Paste
• 5 1/2 cups Veg Broth or Water
• 1 1/2 cups Green Lentils or Split Peas, picked over and rinsed
• 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 1 tbsp Indian Curry Powder
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• Salt
• 1 bunch fresh Chives, minced

1. Combine the 2 tbsp of butter, onion, garlic, and chili paste in a large soup pot over medium heat. Stir regularly, until the onions soften.
2. Add the veg broth and lentils. Let simmer, covered until lentils are tender, about 20- 30 minutes. Split peas will take 45- 50 minutes.
3. In the meantime, warm the 3 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let brown. When it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, stir in the curry powder and sauté until the spices are fragrant, less than a minute.
4. When the lentils are finished cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the coconut milk and 1/4 tsp salt. Puree with an immersion blender to your desired consistency. Stir in half of the spiced butter, taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Serve drizzled with remaining spice butter and sprinkled with chives.