Coconut Lentil Soup

This soup is fantastically flavorful and something new to add to your soup repertoire.  I found this recipe on 101 Cookbooks and interchanged a few things. I use onions vs scallions, green split peas vs yellow, and regular white lentils vs red split lentils.  It doesn't take too long to throw together and an easy tasty meal during the week.

 Ingredients:
1 cup  yellow or green split peas
1 cup red split or white lentils (masoor dal)
7 cups  water
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons fresh peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons butter or ghee
8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced or regular onions
1/3 cup golden or regular raisins
1/3 cup tomato paste
1 14-ounce can coconut milk
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
one small handful cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Rinse the split peas and lentils until the water is clear. Place into a large pot and cover with water. Once it comes to a boil, add carrots and 1/4 of ginger. Turn down the heat and let simmer for ~30mins or till tender. 

I use a large dutch oven cast iron pot because it does great with sauteing onions and I like to cook the final soup in this pot. Place butter in a pan and saute onions till almost caramelized. Add in the rest of the ginger and onions. Saute for a few minutes and then add in the curry powder. Next add the tomato paste and saute for another 2 minutes.

Combine the lentils and onion mixture together in the same pot and add in the coconut milk and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes or till desired consistency/thickness. 

*** Another addition to the soup that is delicious is a jalapeno sauteed in with the onions.  
Serves 6.