Curried Velvet Vegetable Soup

Submitted by FireRaven

"I don't know which I enjoy more -- browsing 'Zaar for all of the amazing recipes here, making the ones that I find, or creating my own! This recipe is a hybrid of two red pepper soups I wanted to try. I played around with curry seasonings, added coconut milk and some orange juice to my veggies, and pureed everything to a velvety consistency. Thank you Muffin3355 and HagChef for your inspiration!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 25mins
• Ingredients: 20
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 (12 ounce) jar roasted red peppers, finely chopped (packed in water, not oil)
• 1 large celery rib, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable stock
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon hot sauce

directions

1. Combine all of the dry herbs and spices together in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2. Heat butter and oil in soup pot. When butter is foamy, add the onions, garlic, celery, and carrots. Cook over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the cubed sweet potato and lentils, cooking another 5 minutes, or until the sweet potato has brightened in color and is just turning golden on the edges, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the roasted and fresh bell peppers and your dry seasonings to the mix, stirring well to distribute the spices throughout. Cook another 3 to 5 minutes, or until spices are fragrant.
5. Deglaze your pot with about a half cup of the vegetable stock/broth, scraping up all of the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Add the remaining stock/broth and increase the heat to medium-high. Bring vegetables and stock to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils and rest of the vegetables are soft, about 35 minutes. Stir whenever you think about it.
7. Puree the softened vegetables to your desired consistency. The easiest way is with an immersion blender, but you may also puree the soup in small batches in a blender or food processor. Be careful, as it is very hot! For the absolute smoothest soup, you can run the puree through a food mill or fine strainer, pressing it through with the back of a spoon. Discard solids.
8. Add the coconut milk and the orange juice, stirring well to blend. Bring soup back up to a gentle simmer, and let cook another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. It may need a bit more salt, or more hot sauce if you like spicy dishes.
9. This is delicious as is, or made even richer with a dollop of sour cream. Garnish with some chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley if you have it. Enjoy!