Lentil Coconut Soup with the Thermomix® has been a fixture in our kitchen during the cold months for years. We make it at least twice a month because it fills you up without feeling heavy, and because the Thermomix® compresses all the work into 35 minutes.
In brief: Rinse 200 g of yellow lentils under cold water, add them to the mixing bowl with 600 g of vegetable stock and 150 g of coconut milk, cook for 25 minutes at 100°C on speed 1, then blend gradually up to speed 6. Chop the ginger, chilli and lemon first for 3 seconds at speed 8. Done in 35 minutes, 4 servings, around 221 kcal per serving.
The key is the rinsing step before cooking. Yellow lentils carry a fine coating of starch and flour dust. If you skip the rinse under running water, you end up with a cloudy, foamy soup with sediment at the bottom. Swirl them in the simmering basket or a sieve under the tap for 30 seconds until the water runs clear, and the soup will turn out smooth and creamy without any extra effort.
Lentil Coconut Soup with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 9 ✓
- 1 piece ginger approx. walnut-sized
- 1 dried chilli
- 1/2 lemon unwaxed
- 200 g yellow lentils
- 600 g vegetable stock
- 150 g coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1 spring onion
Instructions 0 / 5
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1
Chop ginger and chilli.
Place ginger and chilli in the mixing bowl and chop for 3 sec / speed 8. Push down with the spatula.
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2
Prepare the lemon.
Wash the lemon in hot water, grate the zest and add it to the mixing bowl along with the juice.
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3
Cook the lentils.
Rinse the lentils thoroughly under running water in the simmering basket or a sieve, then add them to the mixing bowl with the vegetable stock, coconut milk, salt and pepper and cook for 25 min / 100°C / speed 1.
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4
Slice the spring onion.
Meanwhile, wash and trim the spring onion and cut it into rings.
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5
Blend the soup.
Blend the contents of the mixing bowl gradually up to speed 6. Serve the soup garnished with the spring onion rings.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Yellow lentils instead of red or brown
We use yellow lentils (often sold as moong dal) because they cook faster than red lentils and break down more finely when blended than brown ones. Red lentils disintegrate too much and turn mushy, while brown lentils remain grainy even after 30 minutes. Yellow lentils give a thick, velvety texture after 25 minutes at 100°C on speed 1, which blends perfectly smooth when you work up gradually to speed 6.
Ginger and chilli: 3 seconds at speed 8
3 seconds at speed 8 is all it takes to finely chop the ginger and dried chilli. Any longer and the ginger sticks to the bowl wall and does not cook evenly. After blending, push everything down with the spatula. If you use fresh chilli instead of dried, remove the seeds first, otherwise the soup will be too hot.
Lemon: zest and juice together
The lemon zest brings essential oils, the juice brings acidity. The soup needs both, but they work differently. We grate the zest of half an unwaxed lemon and add it to the mixing bowl along with the juice, straight onto the ginger and chilli. The aroma infuses throughout the cooking time, and the acidity keeps the lentils from turning too soft.
Coconut milk: 150 g is enough
We use 150 g of coconut milk to 600 g of vegetable stock. More makes the soup greasy and masks the lentil flavour. Less and the Asian note disappears. The 1:4 ratio is the sweet spot we settled on after hundreds of servings.
Blending: gradually up to speed 6
After 25 minutes the lentils are soft. Now blend gradually up to speed 6, do not jump straight to Turbo. At too high a speed, the hot soup forces its way past the measuring cup lid and splashes out. Building up gradually gives a smooth, creamy result without any mess on the walls.
Spring onion as garnish
The spring onion goes on top as a garnish, only when serving. Cooking it in the soup would make it soggy. We cut it into thin rings and scatter them over the finished soup. It adds a fresh note and a visual contrast to the creamy base.
Three pitfalls that cost you the creamy texture
This soup rarely goes badly wrong, but three things decide whether it turns out silky or disappointing. In over a hundred batches we have fallen into each of these traps at least once.
Putting unwashed lentils into the mixing bowl
Unwashed yellow lentils release starch dust. The result is a grey, foamy surface and a slightly bitter aftertaste. Our solution: Swirl the 200 g of lentils in the simmering basket under running water until the water runs clear rather than milky. It takes 30 seconds and makes the biggest difference in the whole recipe.
Blending at high speed too soon
Blending the 90°C hot soup straight at speed 8 or 10 forces hot liquid up past the measuring cup. This causes splashing on the lid and walls and, in the worst case, a burn. Our solution: Fit the measuring cup and slowly increase from speed 1 up to speed 6 over about 10 seconds. The lid stays clean and the soup turns completely smooth.
Too much coconut milk, added too late
A full 400 g tin of coconut milk makes the soup greasy and overpowers the delicate lentil and ginger flavour. Our solution: Stick to 150 g and add it together with the vegetable stock at the start of cooking, not at the end. That way the coconut flavour infuses into the lentils over 25 minutes instead of just sitting on top. The rest of the tin keeps in the fridge for three days for the next batch.
Four variations we actually make ourselves
Curry version: Add 1 tsp of yellow curry paste or 2 tsp of mild curry powder to the mixing bowl along with the ginger and chilli. This turns the soup into a warmer, Indian-inspired dal. A spoonful of yoghurt on top works beautifully.
With red lentils: If you only have red lentils, they work fine, but reduce the cooking time to 18 minutes instead of 25. Red lentils break down faster, so the blending up to speed 6 only takes a few seconds.
Tomato twist: Add 200 g of tinned chopped tomatoes along with the stock. This gives a fruitier acidity and a deeper colour, closer to a Turkish lentil soup. Reduce the lemon juice by half if you do this.
As a filling main with toppings: Stir a handful of baby spinach into the soup after blending. It wilts in the residual heat. Or scatter 100 g of roasted chickpeas over the finished soup as a crunchy topping.
What you can cook in the Varoma at the same time
The real advantage of the Thermomix® with this soup is the second tier. While the lentils simmer for 25 minutes at 100°C in the mixing bowl, we can cook something in the Varoma at the same time without using an extra pot.
We often place 150 g of basmati rice in the simmering basket as a side dish for a curry meal, or cook a piece of salmon in the Varoma tray above the soup. One thing to keep in mind: make sure there is enough vegetable stock so that plenty of liquid remains for blending afterwards. The hot soup sends steam up at 100°C, which is enough for rice or fish. That way, in 35 minutes you have both soup and a side on the table.
What goes well with lentil coconut soup
We love serving the soup with some bread for dipping or as a starter before a light main course. Freshly baked spelt bread from the Thermomix® or a crispy flatbread soaks up the creamy soup beautifully.
If you are looking for more soups for the cold months: our Pumpkin Soup with the Thermomix® is the sweeter option, Potato Soup is the hearty one and Tomato Soup is the fruity one. All four share the same advantage: one appliance, one mixing bowl, barely any washing up.
How long the soup keeps in the fridge and freezer
The soup keeps in the fridge for three days in a sealed container. It will thicken as it sits because the lentils continue to absorb liquid. Simply stir in a little water or vegetable stock until you reach the consistency you want. We like to reheat it in the Thermomix® at 90°C on speed 1 for 4 minutes. It heats evenly without catching.
It freezes well for up to three months. The coconut milk may separate slightly, but once reheated and stirred well it blends back in completely. We freeze it in individual portions and thaw them in the fridge overnight. Always cut fresh spring onion after thawing. Frozen garnish turns soggy.
Frequently asked questions about lentil coconut soup
Goes well with: Naan bread and flatbread.
Also try our Pumpkin Soup with the Thermomix®, Goulash Soup, Potato Soup or Tomato Soup.
