Lentil-Inspired Curry
Curry dishes are warming, comforting, and aromatic, and once it starts to get cold, we start to crave this flavorful comfort food big time. Our easy-to-make vegan lentil curry dish is filled with flavor and ready in just 20 minutes. This lentil soup recipe is oil-free, lower-sodium, vegan, and SO delicious.
Made with Right Foods French Lentil Soup, our ready-made lentil soup takes the work out of cooking with a shortcut: precooked lentils. This plant-based dish is filling and high in protein from the lentils, warming from the spices and ginger, and creamy from the addition of coconut milk. This is one of the best vegan soups you’ll ever have out of a box!
Lentils are high in protein, fiber, and iron, making them a great substitute for meat. And while some curries can contain dairy, often they are water-based or made creamy with coconut milk. We’re using coconut milk in this vegan lentil curry to add creaminess and a touch of sweetness and coconut flavor. Coconut milk is awesome in vegan ramen broth, too!
History of Curry
A dish from Southeast Asia, curry was popularized in the 18th century. The word curry comes from the Tamil word “kari,” or sauce. British settlers in India adapted a mixture of spices to create curry powder, condensing the large number of spices into one blend.
Curry powder is typically made with coriander, turmeric, cumin, chili peppers, and a variety of other spices, but can differ from region to region. This recipe uses yellow mustard seeds, turmeric, and garam masala to bring some curry spice to the lentil soup.
Let’s get into the steps for how to make vegan lentil curry, plus learn more about vegan food and McDougall’s Right Foods below.
How to Make Lentil-Inspired Curry
Start by combining minced garlic, ginger paste, yellow mustard seeds, garam masala, and ground turmeric in a medium pot over low heat. Cook until the spices are fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add water, chopped jalapeño, tomato sauce, Right Foods French Lentil Soup, and coconut milk, bringing to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until thickened to your liking. Feel free to add salt & pepper and/or any additional seasonings you’d like.
Topping Ideas
To serve, fill up a bowl with the lentil soup and top with fresh cilantro, jalapeño, and a drizzle of coconut milk or a dollop of coconut yogurt. This vegan lentil-inspired curry dish is delicious on its own or with naan or rice.
Your vegan lentil-inspired curry is complete in just 20 minutes! It’s warm, spicy, creamy, and nourishing.
Why Vegan Food is Great
Since plant foods typically contain a high volume of nutrients, you can’t go wrong with adding more of them into your diet.
Veganism is helpful for your body AND the environment. Livestock emits greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, contributing to more than 14% of total emissions. Plus, cutting down trees for farmland contributes to deforestation, a huge environmental issue. So by avoiding supporting the meat industry, you’re supporting the environment instead.
Dr. McDougall’s soups and all our other products are completely vegan. All you need is hot water to prepare our tasty instant noodles and soups. Here are some of our best-sellers, which are perfect to keep on hand for a quick snack or meal:
Vegan Miso Ramen: organic steamed noodles in a savory miso broth
Split Pea Soup: thick plant-based soup made with green peas and warming spices
Pad Thai: rice noodles full of aromatic spices, pairs well with roasted peanuts and extra veggies
Check out our beginner’s guide to going plant-based, including tasty vegan ramen and vegan soup options. Plus, read more about our sustainability practices and how we look out for the planet here.
Click the photo below to buy our French Lentil Soup we used in this recipe.
About Right Foods
Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods makes vegan eating easy. All of our products are plant-based, made with whole foods, Non-GMO, and made with paper packaging sourced from certified sustainably-managed forests.
Love soup? Love lentils? We have a whole article featuring lentil plant-based soup recipes.
Dr. McDougall has helped thousands improve their health and quality of life by teaching people about the benefits of a plant-based, heart-healthy diet rich in good starches like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, rice, pasta and legumes.
We started the Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods line nearly 20 years ago because we wanted to make the delicious foods from the McDougall Program accessible to everyone.
If you made this recipe, leave a few stars down below and tell us how we did. Or snap a picture and tag us on Instagram so we can see your masterpiece for ourselves!
We have tons of recipes on our website, like this tasty healthy ramen that’s one of our favorites.
If you liked this recipe, you’ll love these:
Vegan Spicy Noodle Bowl by Lenny Wu
Vegan Spanish Rice Chili Tacos by Jasmine Briones
