It seems that the Creator has turned the heat up under me lately.
I feel like I’ve been joyfully bubbling away—sputtering, bloop-ing and blipp-ing here and there—with a mild, low flame flickering beneath me, rather contently simmering on the stove very slowly making my way toward what would some day be my completion. But now, it seems that the flame has been increased ever-so-slightly, turned up from a 3 to a 4, and I’m feeling the heat a little bit more.
I feel the contents within me beginning to increasingly come alive, as the various “ingredients” and “spices”—life experiences— begin to tumble and move around, and come to the surface and then fall back down again and find their place. In other words, things are coming up for me, and I’m noticing more clearly now than ever that there are various stages of understanding that we all go through—various stages of “cooking”—which mold us and season us into slowly becoming who we are meant to become, if we allow ourselves to be molded.
You see, in this scenario, I’m the soup, the item in process of being prepared to one day be full-flavored and hearty and to be of sustenance to others around me, and God is the cook. And the more I quest to find understanding and the genuine purpose to my existence, the more I come to see that this is the wonderful reality.
The thing is, I’ve always thought that I was the cook.
The Creator has a way of bringing things to light in my life that cannot be ignored, things that perhaps on the outside appear mostly to have to do with others, though upon closer examination, actually have everything to do with me; and I’m noticing that they’re contributing to my shaping, contributing ultimately to who I will become.
I see God as the cook who longs to prepare the most deliciously divine feast, complete with a myriad of various dishes, each with a specific purpose that aids in a healthy and balanced existence. And I’m beginning to think that we are each a part of that very feast, in a way—a dish that is in-process of being prepared so that one day we can be of use and nourishment to another “partaking” in us.
You see, in cooking, there is a whole process that goes into the preparation of a soup; in the early stages, the pot is placed onto the heat, some silky clarified butter is added to aid in things gliding together smoothly, and aromatic vegetables are added to help create some depth of flavor that will continue to come out even as the process continues.
Seasonings like salt, pepper and spices are then also added to create flavor and additional layering; and then more hearty ingredients, such as lentils, come in to round things out and to create the full-bodied soup. The heat under the pot is tinkered with during the process according to what is happening in that pot, until finally, after the perfect amount of cooking time, the finishing touches that mellow things out and tie everything together, like a splash of coconut cream and a vibrant flourish of chopped herbs, are stirred in just prior to the soup being ladled out into bowls.
Different ingredients at different stages, to create a complex, fully balanced and nourishing dish to be enjoyed by those that are hungry for it.
Though I know it’s one of the most (if not the most) difficult things to do, I desperately long to just step aside and let my Creator prepare the “soup”; to begin, season, simmer and finish me, and trust that He knows the perfect ingredients to add at the perfect time, and when to turn up the heat and when to lower it, so that this meal can be prepared according to what is needed in order to then be placed upon the table of life and be nourishing.
The process may be a bit tumultuous, with things simmering more vigorously at certain points during the cooking than at others, and with ingredients being introduced (perhaps) at unexpected times, but well worth the end result.
It all couldn’t be anything apart from exactly what it was intended to be—perfectly balanced, perfectly flavored; and, as is true of all that God touches, painstakingly and lovingly prepared to perfection.
Taste what’s good and pass it on.
Ingrid
Curried Lentil Soup with a touch of Coconut Cream
by Ingrid Beer
Print RecipeYield: Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter), or coconut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
• 1 rib celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• Salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound split red lentils (dried)
• 6 cups chicken stock, hot
• ½ (14 ounce) can coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
• Naan bread, for dipping
Preparation:
-Place a pot over medium-high heat, and add in the ghee; once hot, add in the onion, carrot and celery, and saute for about 5-6 minutes, until slightly tender.
-Add in the garlic, curry powder, turmeric, cumin, smoked paprika and black pepper, and stir to combine; once aromatic, add in the lentils and stir to blend, followed by the chicken stock.
-Cover the soup and allow it to gently simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lentils are tender and soup is slightly thickened.
-Finish the soup by stirring in the coconut cream and the cilantro, and serve with warm naan bread, if desired.
Nice soup. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Liz!
Oh my gosh, I made this soup in the am for lunch , my kitchen was so fragrant , I tried a bowl and…I had to have a bit more, it’s wonderful , thank you so much for this recipe , my husband and are in our 60s and are changing the bread meat and potatoes in for healthful eating ,this is our go to soup 🙂 Namaste:)
Hi Carol, I’m so exited that you and your husband tried this soup! So comforting and hearty, isn’t it? That’s great that the two of you that you are incorporating healthier eating habits, and that this soup recipe will be one of your go-to’s! 🙂 Namaste to you, too!!
I like the imagery of God as the cook! I’ve always like the verses in Jeremiah 18 of God being the potter, and now I can also think of Him as a cook, seasoning us until we’re prepared to perfection. The reminder that, although at times tumultuous, it’s well worth the end result was timely. Thank you!
Gail, very beautiful sentiments. And yes, though times are often challenging for us, the idea of relinquishing ourselves to our “Cook” is comforting; I certainly know that I couldn’t begin to do any better with my life, that’s for sure. His desire is to see His creation—His sons and daughters—reflect His light, and be all that He dreamt up when he brought us into being. Thanks for your comments!
Another great recipe from The Cozy Apron. I’m eating this tonight while I’m writing this comment and it is so delicious. I’m serving it with hot garlic naan bread.
Marina, how very kind of you to say that! So thrilled that you’re enjoying this soup, and with the garlic naan, to boot! Thanks so much for sharing with me—I’m happy you’re enjoying some of the recipes!
thank you so much-this soup is perfect!!
Thanks so much, Brittany!
Is coconut cream the same as coconut milk?
Hi Heather, coconut cream is thicker and creamier. Typically, you can find it in the section where the coconut milk is; but if you can’t, you can just add coconut milk, or the thicker, cream-at-the-top found at the top of the can (but don’t shake the can!).
Thank you! I couldn’t find coconut cream. Lots of varieties of coconut milk though so I just bought one of the full-fat ones and will use the thicker part from the top of the can. I have this soup planned for the weekend!
Perfect, Heather! Enjoy!
Heather…Sometimes found in the supermarket where they sell Liquor.
Wow! Just made this. The only thing I did was double the amount of garlic (because we’re anti social people so it doesn’t matter!) but my husband adored it as well as myself.
My husband loves curry anything but this is SO going on our top soups list. I also love how there is next to little prep work (especially if you have a food processor to chop things up fast) and it doesn’t take that long to cook but the amount of flavour in this is amazing. Thank you so much!
Hi Holly, so glad you guys enjoyed! I think doubling the garlic is great—we actually love a lot in ours, too, but wanted to go “medium” level for others. 🙂 Thank you for your comments!
Did you use red lentils? The bowl of soup is green. Can I use green lentils in your
recipe? I desperately need to eat healthier and the curried vegetables recipe will be my first attempt. Thank you
Hi Joanna! Yes, these are actually the “red” lentils (they look bright orange before they’re cooked). As they cook their color becomes a bit more muted, and pale gold. But you can use the grey/green lentils, instead—sure! Congrats on healthier eating; I think you’ll really enjoy this recipe! 🙂
Did you use dried lentils or canned? Sorry, Im no lentil pro 😉
Hi Cher, dried lentils. 🙂
I’m wondering if this will work well in the slow cooker ? Might give it a go 🙂
Hi Aneika, I don’t use a slow cooker and so I’m not certain as to the adjustments needed for the recipe when using one, but if you’re proficient, I’d definitely tell you to try this recipe out! Really comforting.
I made this in my slow cooker by basically dumping everything in and having it on high for around 4-6 hours then adding coconut cream. Made it 3 times now it’s currently my favourite soup recipe!
Hi Aneika, thanks for the info! Glad you’re enjoying!
Hi Aneika! I made this in the slow cooker on low for 8 hrs and then pureed it and it turned out beautifully. Not sure if it would be overly mushy without pureeing, I generally convert soup recipes to the slow cooker and do 4 hrs high or 8 hrs low. I generally puree them so no worries about mushy veggies. I’m a vegetarian so not sure how to convert soup with meat, but this one worked 😀
Is it really 1 lb of dried lentils? That seems like a lot when you’re using only 6 cups of broth.
Hi Marie, yes—it really is 1 pound of lentils. Since the soup only simmers for about 20 minutes, the consistency you end up with is what you see in the photos: a nice, hearty, and thicker consistency soup. But if you’re still skeptical, by all means—prepare according to your preference. 😉
I’m cooking for a vegetarian friend. Could you sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth?
Hi Margret, yes, of course! Please make according to needs. 🙂
Hi the soup is delicious but the coconut cream at the end–is it the cream of coconut (looks clear and is very sweet).. My husband said cream of cocnut was the wrong thing that is used for pina coladas and it was too sweet. Thank goodness I didn’t put it in the entire batch!
Hi Sandy, it should not be sweet like that at all! Typically coconut cream is in the section where you find coconut milk, usually in the Asian food section; it’s just a little more concentrated and rich, more like when you find cream at the top of certain types of organic whole milk, etc. Glad you didn’t use the pina colada variety, lol! And if you can’t find it, you can easily just scrape the thick, creamy part from the top of a can of coconut milk, just don’t shake it. 😉
Excellent pantry-ingredient soup. I used frozen homemade, salt-free chicken stock, added 1/2 t sweet paprika (only because I like it so much) as well as the hot smoky paprika and used coconut milk (no coconut cream in the pantry). Healthy, quick, flavourful. It checks all the boxes! Thanks!
Hi Bev, that’s wonderful…so glad you found some comfort in the recipe!
Thanks for the delicious lentil soup….but what is the dollop of white garnish in the picture? Sour cream or coconut cream? I wonder if coconut milk instead of coconut cream would work in the recipe and use the entire can, rather than half?
Thank you again, really enjoyed the soup!
Hi Phyllis, it was a little extra coconut cream on top- but I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks so much for commenting! (And sure- you can certainly use coconut milk if you prefer.)
Hi! Would it be ok to use unsweetened coconut milk from the carton? I am out of canned coconut milk!
Hi Summer, it won’t be the same, but if that’s all you’ve got, feel free to use it! Just know it won’t have that thicker, creamier consistency.
One of my girlfriends made this for our soup swap and it was insane. SO good. She pointed me in your direction for the recipe, which I can’t wait to try. But I have a question: Did you soak the lentils first or did you just throw them in dry?
Hi Raina, so glad you enjoyed the soup! And no—no pre-soaking required, easy-peasy. Just give the lentils a rinse and a pick-through, and add ’em in. Hope you enjoy preparing the recipe!
Hi can you freeze this soup?
Hi Chelle, I haven’t personally tried it, but I don’t see why not! Should be fine!
This recipe is our family’s absolute favorite. I add cayenne pepper and a jalapeño because we like HEAT! It is phenomenal and I have impressed many tough critics. Thank you sooo much for sharing, very kind of you.
Hi Amanda, I’m so happy to read that the recipe has impressed some “tough critics”, lol! 😄So glad you’ve been enjoying it. I love that you’re adding extra “heat”—we do that, too, as we also like things spicy in our kitchen. 😉 Thanks for sharing!