Coconut Milk & Green Lentil Soup

I like soup.  And I like you.  So here's some soup!  (no, that was not an attempt at a Valentine's poem...)

I used to kind of hate soup.  I thought it was abysmal, boring, and tasteless.  But then I had an epiphany and starting making my own soup to cater to my tastes.  It was such a simple solution.  Now, I tend to make soup at least once a week in the winter because it's comforting and a whole pot will give me around four to six meals.  You could even double (or triple!) the recipe and freeze leftovers to make it easier on yourself later on down the road.

I'll admit that this soup's humble appearance won't be winning any beauty contests, but it will more than make up for it in taste.  Plus, it's nice to have some humble looking food every now and then.  Ever heard of humble pie? (HAHA!).  On an unrelated note, I just realized there's an inverted camera-wielding Courtney staring at you from the spoon in the last photo.  Oops.  Happy soup-making!

Coconut Milk & Green Lentil Soup
notes: if you want to make this gluten free, you can leave out the bulgur wheat completely, or, replace it with 1 1/2 to 2 cups of cooked brown rice or quinoa.  Stir it in at the end to warm it through.    The toppings I list below are optional, but I highly recommend them as they take the soup to the next level.  Oh, and I ate the last of this today with a bit of diced avocado and it was even more amazing.    

1 small/medium red onion, diced
4 small carrots, peeled & diced
2 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 heaping tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you want it spicy)
sea salt
1 can coconut milk
4 cups water
1 cup uncooked French green lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup bulgur wheat (see notes above to make it gluten free)
1 small lemon

chopped basil & chives, & plain yogurt to serve

Heat a dutch over or large pot over medium heat.  Add the oil along with the carrots and onions.  Add a good pinch of salt along with the coriander, red pepper flakes, and paprika.  Cook the veggies until they soften (about 5 or so minutes).  Add the coconut milk, water, lentils, and another pinch of salt and bring the soup to a boil.  Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer.  Simmer the soup for about 20 minutes until the lentils are tender.  Add the bulgur wheat and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  After the bulgur has cooked, squeeze the juice from the lemon into the soup, stirring to combine.  Taste the soup and add more salt/seasonings if desired.

To serve, place a dollop of plain yogurt on each bowl of soup then sprinkle on 1 to 2 tbsp of freshly chopped basil and chives.  Swirl in the yogurt and herbs before eating.

Makes 4-6 servings (...and, this soup goes particularly well with easy little bread)