Curried Lentil Soup

Now that soup season is upon us I have busted out some of my favorite soup books to look for new recipes or remind myself of old favorites.  I reached for The Soup Bible with all the intentions of making a favorite of LJ's, garlicky lentil.  However, the following page caught my eye and I realized I already had most of the ingredients so I could give it a shot.

I used two onions, two crushed cloves of garlic, a fifteen ounce can of diced tomatoes, half a teaspoon of curry powder, a teaspoon of cumin, a quarter teaspoon of cardamom (I may omit this next time), half a stick of cinnamon (make sure to remove this before blending the soup), a cup and a third of red lentils, three and a quarter cups of water, a fourteen ounce can of coconut milk, salt, pepper, and a lime.

Though there are quite a few ingredients, the recipe is simple.  Add everything to the pot except the lime and coconut milk.

After bringing the soup to a boil I covered the soup and simmered it for about 20 minutes, until the lentils were soft.

After the lentils are soft I blended up the soup with my immersion blender (you could use a blender or food processor).  I then added most of the coconut milk to the soup and warmed it up on low so it wouldn't curdle.

I finished off the soup with the lime juice and ladled it in to bowls.  I added the remainder of the coconut milk to make it look pretty.  (I have found coconut milk separates in the can so I first pour it into a large measuring cup to blend it back together.  LJ, who is much more experienced user of coconut milk, suggests shaking the can before opening.)

I found the soup a little too sweet but with the addition of some sriracha it was perfect.