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White Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Mustard Greens

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 15, 2019

Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

White Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Mustard Greens

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped fineSalt and pepper 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger 4 garlic cloves, minced1 cup white lentils, picked over and rinsed5 ½ cups vegetable broth 1 bay leaf ½ teaspoon turmeric 14 ounces mustard greens, stemmed and chopped3 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped fine1 tablespoon lime juice ¾ cup canned coconut milk

Before You Begin

Be sure to rinse the white lentils well—they can come coated in a thin layer of oil. White lentils can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty Indian markets, and online. If you can't find white lentils, substitute lentilles du Puy; reduce the lentil cooking time to 25 minutes and note that the soup will be more brothy. Five ounces of baby spinach can be substitute for the mustard greens; if using, skip microwave step in step 3.

Instructions

  1. Toast cumin in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in half of jalapeño, ginger, and garlic and cook until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in lentils, broth, bay leaf, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon toasted cumin and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, microwave mustard greens in bowl until wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to colander and let drain. In separate bowl, toss tomatoes, lime juice, remaining 1 teaspoon toasted cumin, remaining jalapeño, and ¼ teaspoon salt.]
  4. Discard bay leaf from soup. Puree ¾ cup soup and coconut milk in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds, then return to pot. Stir in mustard greens and bring to brief simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with tomato mixture, and serve.
White Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Mustard Greens
Photography by Daniel J. van Ackere. Styling by Marie Piraino.

White Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk and Mustard Greens

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1½ hours

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon turmeric
14 ounces mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
3 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped fine
1 tablespoon lime juice
¾ cup canned coconut milk

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon turmeric
14 ounces mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
3 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped fine
1 tablespoon lime juice
¾ cup canned coconut milk

Ingredients

2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped fine
Salt and pepper
2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 ½ cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon turmeric
14 ounces mustard greens, stemmed and chopped
3 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped fine
1 tablespoon lime juice
¾ cup canned coconut milk

Why This Recipe Works

White lentils (skinned and split black lentils) might be rare in your local market, but throughout India they are used in a variety of stews or are ground into flour for dumplings and thin crêpes. They have a unique flavor similar to mung beans, and they cook to a particularly viscous, starchy texture that makes for a great soup. Our inspiration for this soup came from the spicy, largely vegetarian cuisine of southern India, which features dishes made with a lot of garlic, chiles, ginger, and coconut milk. Mustard greens provided the perfect foil to the creamy soup base. We preferred the softer texture and milder flavor of the greens when we wilted them briefly in the microwave before stirring them into the finished soup. For a bright, fresh garnish, we made a chutney-inspired blend of diced fresh tomatoes, lime juice, and toasted whole cumin seeds. 

Before You Begin

Be sure to rinse the white lentils well—they can come coated in a thin layer of oil. White lentils can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, specialty Indian markets, and online. If you can't find white lentils, substitute lentilles du Puy; reduce the lentil cooking time to 25 minutes and note that the soup will be more brothy. Five ounces of baby spinach can be substitute for the mustard greens; if using, skip microwave step in step 3.

Instructions

  1. Toast cumin in 8-inch skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer to bowl.
  2. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until onion is softened and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in half of jalapeño, ginger, and garlic and cook until fragrant and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in lentils, broth, bay leaf, turmeric, and 1 teaspoon toasted cumin and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, microwave mustard greens in bowl until wilted and tender, 3 to 4 minutes; transfer to colander and let drain. In separate bowl, toss tomatoes, lime juice, remaining 1 teaspoon toasted cumin, remaining jalapeño, and ¼ teaspoon salt.]
  4. Discard bay leaf from soup. Puree ¾ cup soup and coconut milk in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds, then return to pot. Stir in mustard greens and bring to brief simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with tomato mixture, and serve.

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