Thai Cabbage Lentil Soup
This soup is packed with flavor and is the result of a happy experiment in which I tried red chili paste in place of curry paste and had extra tomatoes laying around. Nutritionally dense and full of zing from the lime, ginger, and chili paste, it’s a winner. esperanza spalding is a legendary, once-in-a-generation bassist and vocalist. Her second album, Esperanza, features vocals in Spanish, English, and Portuguese and is a joyful, celebratory collection.
Serves 6 • Ready in 60 minutes (includes 30 minutes active, 30 minutes simmering)
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 C cooked brown lentils start with 1 C dry lentils
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger
- 3 Tbsp Thai roasted red chili paste otherwise known as nam prik pao. Brand such as Thai Kitchen
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 3 C vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 head green cabbage chopped
- 2 medium fresh tomatoes
- 1 15- ounce can coconut milk
- 3 Tbsp sodium soy sauce
- 2 handfuls spinach
- 1 lime
- Cilantro basil, lime wedges, and sriracha for serving
Instructions
- Cook lentils according to package directions. This takes approximately 30 minutes. Meanwhile, continue with the rest of the recipe.
- Dice the 2 shallots, 4 cloves of garlic, and peel and dice the 1 Tbsp ginger. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and ginger, and cook until aromatic and tender (3-5 minutes).
- Stir in the 3 Tbsp chili paste and 2 Tbsp tomato paste and cook for another couple minutes, stirring almost constantly.
- Roughly chop the tomatoes and cabbage. Pour broth into pot and add cabbage and tomatoes.
- Raise heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Use an immersion blender to blend approximately ⅔ of the soup. Avoid blending the tomato chunks if possible.
- Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and lentils. Increase heat to medium.
- Chop the 2 handfuls of spinach. Once the soup is heated through, add the spinach and juice from one lime.
Notes
At the table, place dishes with cilantro, basil, sriracha, and lime wedges to garnish soup.
Album: Esperanza | esperanza spalding