Thai-Spiced Red Lentil Soup with Coconut and Corn
By Aran GoyoagaPublished on September 1, 2025
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Use a Thai tamarind concentrate (look for the words “Nuoc Me Chua” on the label) and not one from India, which is darker and has a more cooked flavor. If you can only find tamarind pulp, microwave 1 tablespoon in in ½ cup water for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Pass through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much tamarind as possible, discarding solids. Add to pot with lentils in step 2 and omit ½ cup water in ingredient list.
Instructions
- Toast 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons mustard seeds, and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to mortar and pestle or spice grinder and let cool slightly. Grind to coarse powder; measure out 1 teaspoon and set aside separately from remaining ground spices.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 stemmed and thinly sliced green Thai chile, and remaining ground spices and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 cups vegetable broth, 15-ounce can tomato sauce, 14-ounce can coconut milk, ¾ cup rinsed red lentils, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, and 1½ teaspoons table salt. Increase heat to high and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lentils are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove pot from heat, stir in 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped; 1½ cups corn; and reserved 1 teaspoon ground spices and let sit until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Serve, garnishing individual servings with yogurt, cilantro, peanuts, and lime wedges.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
This one-bowl, tomato-based soup is inspired by the flavors of Thai cuisine. It’s a little sweet and a little sour, thanks to a list of pantry items (brown sugar, coriander, mustard seed, cumin) and tamarind juice concentrate. A little bit of this intensely tangy and fruity-sweet tamarind product goes a long way, and one tablespoon was enough to enliven the soup and balance out a can of rich, creamy coconut milk. Quick-cooking lentils and corn added heartiness and pops of sweetness, respectively, while final garnishes of yogurt, cilantro, peanuts, and lime juice brightened each bowl and provided a hit of crunchy texture.
Before You Begin
Use a Thai tamarind concentrate (look for the words “Nuoc Me Chua” on the label) and not one from India, which is darker and has a more cooked flavor. If you can only find tamarind pulp, microwave 1 tablespoon in in ½ cup water for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Pass through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much tamarind as possible, discarding solids. Add to pot with lentils in step 2 and omit ½ cup water in ingredient list.
Instructions
- Toast 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 2 teaspoons mustard seeds, and 2 teaspoons cumin seeds in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to mortar and pestle or spice grinder and let cool slightly. Grind to coarse powder; measure out 1 teaspoon and set aside separately from remaining ground spices.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add 1 finely chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 stemmed and thinly sliced green Thai chile, and remaining ground spices and cook until onions are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 cups vegetable broth, 15-ounce can tomato sauce, 14-ounce can coconut milk, ¾ cup rinsed red lentils, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate, 2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, and 1½ teaspoons table salt. Increase heat to high and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook until lentils are tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove pot from heat, stir in 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped; 1½ cups corn; and reserved 1 teaspoon ground spices and let sit until spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Serve, garnishing individual servings with yogurt, cilantro, peanuts, and lime wedges.
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