Curried Lentil Soup With Coconut and Tomatoes

This curried lentil soup recipe from chef and cookbook author Yotam Ottolenghi is “way more delicious than it should be,” declared one former colleague, for whom it was a go-to dinner. Her reaction was partly due to the soup’s ease (it’s made almost entirely from pantry ingredients). But it’s also nourishing, hearty, gluten-free, and requires extremely little prep time.

The magic happens courtesy of red lentils, which break down, turning the broth creamy. You could use yellow lentils, but brown lentils and green lentils retain more texture, so save them for another purpose.

Ottolenghi calls for Japanese S&B curry powder, which can be considered mild-to-medium in heat, but you can use any blend you like based on your tolerance. You can adjust the other ingredients too: Stir in a peeled and diced sweet potato or half a butternut squash right at the beginning, or add the last handful of some slightly wilted baby spinach just before serving. The chef also calls for water to round out the broth—with so many flavorful ingredients, this really will suffice, but if you have a bit of vegetable broth (or even chicken broth) open, feel free to use it.

A final drizzle of coconut milk adds a lush finish, while lime juice and fresh cilantro brighten everything up. Serve with warm charred naan for dunking.

Check out more of our favorite soup tips.