This weekend, Theo turns two months.
Two months! Obligatory parent statement: I cannot believe it. It feels like just a couple weeks ago I was reflecting on his one month birthday, which makes sense because it was only a couple weeks ago. Life with babies is both absurd and wonderful.
This month, Theo learned a couple new tricks, the best of which is sleeping through the night, which he does inconsistently, but when it happens it’s pretty glorious. He’s also gotten into a bedtime routine which means that we can feed him, read to him, and then put him down in his crib while he’s still awake and he usually goes to sleep without a fuss. Then there’s sticking out his tongue and giving us lots and lots of smiles. These are the the things I look forward to each day.
On a completely unrelated note, I made coconut red lentil soup. Green lentils are pretty much a staple ingredient in this household, but red lentils tend to make less of an appearance.
That’s why this soup feels new and exciting, regardless of the other coconut lentil soup already documented on this blog. Or the Indian lentil stew. Because those are green and this one is red, so clearly, they are nothing alike. This is the same logic my friend Anne uses to explain to me why she owns 13 grey cardigans.
For this soup, you’ll cook down onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeños with a bunch of spices. Stir in some crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and of course the red lentils and then let the thing simmer. In the end, you’ll add the coconut milk which gives the soup a nice, creamy flavor. Make a big batch and save it for leftovers for the week – it reheats nicely.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can peeled tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup split red lentils, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1 15 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- juice from 1 lime
- cilantro, chopped, as garnish
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño and cook until vegetables have softened. Stir in cumin, turmeric, coriander, and cinnamon and cook for 2 minutes. Add in tomato paste and stir to coat, then add in tomatoes with juice, vegetable broth, bay leaf, lentils, and salt. Using the back of a wooden spoon, gently crush the tomatoes to break them apart. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off heat and pour in coconut milk and lime juice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Recipe rephotographed November 2017.
This looks amazing!
writes Anne