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One-Pot Golden Red Lentil and Mushroom Curry Soup

40 min

Main

Soup

One-bowl / one-pot

Freezer-friendly

Red lentils are a little bit different than brown or green lentils, as they lose their shape once they are cooked. The texture of the lentils dissolved into the broth and flavour of the spices is so incredibly comforting, and wonderfully filling too.

Servings

Total

40 min

Prep

10 min

Cook

30 min

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Ingredients

Lentil curry

  • 1 Tbsp (15 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • ½ Tbsp (3 g)
    whole brown mustard seeds
  • ½ Tbsp (3 g)
    whole cumin seeds
  • 2
    medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 4
    cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ Tbsp (3 g)
    freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tsp (2 g)
    chili flakes
  • 7.8 oz (220 g)
    cremini mushrooms, sliced
  • ½ tsp
    salt
  • ½ Tbsp (3 g)
    ground coriander
  • 1 tsp (3 g)
    ground turmeric
  • ⅛ tsp
    ground black pepper
  • 1½ cups (306 g)
    dry red lentils, rinsed†
  • vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled
  • 6 cups (1440 mL)
    water
  • 3
    medium tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ Tbsp (1 g)
    dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 2
    vegan naans, toasted

Yogurt sauce

  • 1 cup (240 mL)
    unsweetened soy yogurt
  • 1
    clove garlic, crushed
  • ¼ tsp
    salt

Directions

  1. Heat a large pan on medium-high. Add the oil and when hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Stir continuously to toast, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili flakes. Cook until the onions become translucent, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with the salt. Cook until the moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the coriander, turmeric, and pepper, and cook while stirring for another 1 minute to toast the spices.
  5. Add the lentils, bouillon cubes, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 10 - 15 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make the yogurt sauce by adding the yogurt, garlic, and salt to a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.
  7. When the lentils are cooked, stir in the tomato, and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
  8. Finally, add the fenugreek leaves, stir, then remove from the heat.
  9. Drizzle the yogurt sauce overtop, and serve with naan. Enjoy!

Notes

  • †If soaking the lentils overnight, reduce the cooking time by 5 - 10 minutes, and also reduce the amount of cooking water by half as well.

Storage

Let us know what you think

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 18%

vegan naan

Proteins 36%

dry red lentils

unsweetened soy yogurt

Fruits & Veggies 46%

medium yellow onion

clove garlic

freshly grated ginger

cremini mushroom

medium tomato

clove garlic

Calcium

unsweetened soy yogurt

Fat

vegetable oil

Nutrition info

We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.

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Discussion & Rating

Rate this post


Sadie - March 26, 2024, 5:16 a.m.

It was very quick and easy recipe. I added potatoes to it as well.


Bruce - Feb. 23, 2024, 3:17 a.m.

I like it! Just did the soup. Wouldn’t change a thing. Think I try some of your other recipes.


priscilla - Feb. 13, 2024, 5:48 p.m.

I never quite follow a recipe, this is really a good one. Delicious and full of flavor. And I made homemade naan with it. Lovely bowl of goodnessπŸ˜‹

PUL Team - Feb. 14, 2024, 5:01 a.m.

Mmm homemade naan with the curry soup sounds divine, Priscilla 🀌


Nele - Dec. 29, 2023, 1:33 p.m.

Perfect lunch meal, ideal with fresh made naan bread. Kids loved it!


Thomas Beaumont - Dec. 7, 2023, 4:15 p.m.

Delicious


Carolina S Lim - Dec. 4, 2023, 11:05 a.m.

Super Yummy and fast to do.⭐️ Will definitely do this again!


Tristan - Nov. 28, 2023, 5:46 p.m.

Made is twice already, once at my sister's and another at home. Everyone loved it


Niko - Oct. 6, 2023, 9:43 p.m.

Very tasty


Kristina - Sept. 24, 2023, 12:52 p.m.

This soup is amazing! Thank you for the recipe


Geetha Lakshmi - Sept. 1, 2023, 3:13 p.m.

This recipe was delicious, a warm comfort food on a rainy day that we all enjoyed! I have never mixed mushroom and lentils before, but it turned out yummy and the yogurt sauce on top! πŸ˜‹

PUL Team - Sept. 1, 2023, 7:15 p.m.

So happy that the soup was enjoyed, Geetha, thank you 😊


Jenny - Aug. 28, 2023, 7:35 p.m.

Delicious - loved this soup, which was also really easy to make!


Carla - July 29, 2023, 7:17 a.m.

This soup is so delicious!


Wayne Davies - July 24, 2023, 5:39 p.m.

This was great. Quite often when we make a curry there is never enough sauce. This was perfect.


Anna - July 24, 2023, 2:14 p.m.

This dish makes me so happy! πŸ₯° Enjoying it just now with some brown rice and fresh spinach


ZsΓ³fi - July 22, 2023, 5:09 p.m.

Love it 😊


Nancy - July 18, 2023, 1:51 p.m.

I prepped this dish in the afternoon so I just needed to throw it together at dinner time. It's flavourful, but mine came out a little watery. I did throw in two handfuls of spinach, maybe that contributed to the consistency. Doesn't matter, it's our lunch today.


Georgie Sargeant - June 6, 2023, 10:37 p.m.

Brilliant soup recipe. Gorgeous flavours. Can’t wait to make it again!


s - May 30, 2023, 5:11 a.m.

such a lovely soup! i used zucchini and made the rest of the recipe to a T, but found it kind of bland towards the end so i added some more cilantro, homemade curry powder, some (pick up) lime(s), and indian red chili powder! served it with basmati rice and aloo gobi :)


Giulia Eleuteri - April 30, 2023, 9:50 p.m.

I fancied a soup today and I chose this among the ones I saved.
It's so good, it practically does everything by itself since you just have to wait for it to be cooked, and you can do something else in the mean time! I didn't have some spices so I omitted them or switched an I also used an alternative plant Base cream cheese instead of the yogurt (didn't have it) and it was delicious! The only note to self is that I should add less salt if using cream cheese cause it was just a tad too salty but in the soup was perfect!

PUL Team - May 1, 2023, 12:12 a.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with it, Giulia 😊


Dicey - April 16, 2023, 9:39 a.m.

Really enjoyed making this with the app, fantastic flavours, enough heat and the garlic yoghurt just made the dish. On my favourite list.

PUL Team - April 16, 2023, 9:55 p.m.

Woohoo! It means so much, Dicey - thank you πŸ™‚


Monique - April 11, 2023, 4:52 p.m.

Another fabulous dish from Pick Up Limes. Very easy to prepare. I didn't have enough red lentils on hand, so I added a small amount of chana dal and cooked it a little longer. A nice warming dish.

PUL Team - April 11, 2023, 10:48 p.m.

So happy to hear, Monique, and love the addition of chana dal πŸ€—


Anishka - March 4, 2023, 10:43 p.m.

Lovely soup! It’s very comforting and just what my stomach needed xx


Frankie - Feb. 26, 2023, 3:41 p.m.

Hey, I made this recipe three times this far, the first time I left out the mushrooms and added tomato puree, which was great, the second time I followed the recipe and the mushrooms really gave it a nice meaty texture, and the last time I added in some potatoes and carrots, which made is extra creamy and gave it a little bit of sweetness, which was also really nice - so: great recipe, even when you make some of your own additions to it :)

PUL Team - Feb. 26, 2023, 8:13 p.m.

Sounds so delicious, Frankie, thanks for sharing your variations and the kind words πŸ˜ƒ


Melitta - Jan. 31, 2023, 12:10 p.m.

This recipe is one of my favourites. I sometimes turn it into a main curry dish with rice or naan by adding a bit less water to get a less soupy texture. Can’t get enough of this!

PUL Team - Jan. 31, 2023, 8:30 p.m.

Mmm a lovely idea, Melitta - so glad it's being enjoyed!


Greyson - Jan. 19, 2023, 2:45 p.m.

Visually, our family's effort in this recipe turned out a lot different. It was very colorful! We could not find the cremini mushrooms, which may have given the dish a 'meatier' taste/texture. Regardless, this recipe turned out to be versatile and it is a keeper! We opted for the zuccinni in place of the mushrooms, found a vegan-based boullion without the traditional msg included, and omitted the fenugreek leaves because we could not locate any. We also soaked the lentils in advanced, overnight to speed up the cooking time. The amount of spices included in the recipe were more mild than we assumed, so we are going to bump the amounts up because this recipe is delicious, warming, and comforting.
Our family is slowly moving away from meat, so if someone wanted to add a little bit in, it seems this recipe would still be a wonderful staple. My husband made the Naan bread, and it was very easy and so satisfying to include with this one-pot dish. It's nice to break bread with your family at the table and dip it in this soup! It tastes just as good the next day if you have leftovers.
This recipe has inspired our family into a new tradition, by cooking all new recipes all together. It brings us closer and our kiddo it willing to try vegan dishes because of our family involvement. (The bread helped too!)
If you try this recipe, make it with the naan bread, it ramps up the experience and who doesn't like fresh bread?

PUL Team - Jan. 20, 2023, 5:52 a.m.

Hey there, Greyson, thanks a bunch for taking the time to share your experience with the dish! It's so appreciated and we're thrilled it was enjoyed πŸ˜ƒ The tradition of cooking with the kiddos sounds incredible! WIshing you all the best on your journey with plant foods 🌱


Lisa - Jan. 3, 2023, 8:30 p.m.

Such a good recipe! This has become one of our staple go to dishes. Love the amount of 'pantry ingrediΓ«nts' in this one.


Steve - Feb. 22, 2022, 6:13 a.m.

Eating this soup right this second--really tasty! I'll definitely make this one again.

PUL Team - Feb. 23, 2022, 7:07 a.m.

Woohoo! Enjoy, Steve πŸ˜ƒ


Clari - Jan. 31, 2022, 12:13 p.m.

So amazing recipe! It's my family's absolutely favourite (mine too). The yoghurt with the soup... Mmm so creamy and comforting. Recommend Recommend!

PUL Team - Jan. 31, 2022, 7:50 p.m.

Aw we're so happy to hear, Clari, thank you :D


Sara - Dec. 12, 2021, 3:49 p.m.

Amazing and very delicious and filling!


LivinLaVidaLoca - Nov. 15, 2021, 9:25 p.m.

i made this and really liked it. I did not have ground coriander it called for but I had fresh, so used that. I also used a box of vegetable stock as I prefer that to bouillon cubes. I did not incorporate the garlic into the yogurt, just added a scoop of Greek yogurt to each serving. I liked and would make it again.

PUL Team - Nov. 17, 2021, 1:42 a.m.

Thanks for sharing your experience with this one! So glad the soup was enjoyed :)


Lizzy - Oct. 25, 2021, 8:28 p.m.

Probably my favorite soup recipe this season. Thanks for sharing so many delicious recipes!

PUL Team - Oct. 26, 2021, 5:20 a.m.

A massive compliment, Lizzy, we appreciate it so much! So thrilled the soup was enjoyed πŸ˜ƒ


Alica - Oct. 25, 2021, 2:13 p.m.

As usual, the taste is amazing! I just have a slight (and usual) issue with the water ratio.
For some reason, my curries (including this one) end up a bit too watery... Is it because I soaked the red lentils overnight?
It seems that also, as time passes and the soup simmers, more water is released.
Anyway, very tasty as usual!
All the best

PUL Team - Oct. 26, 2021, 5:18 a.m.

Hi there, Alica, thanks for sharing this with us! If soaking the lentils overnight we do recommend reducing the cooking time by around 5-10 minutes, and also reducing the cooking water amount by half as well. This should help with it being overly watery, but do let us know if that wasn't the case and we're happy to help troubleshoot further πŸ€“


Carmen Vazquez - Sept. 20, 2021, 12:15 a.m.

This is the best website ever!


Clare - Sept. 3, 2021, 4:10 p.m.

This dish has such a complex and beautiful blend of aromas! Love it!


Giggle - Aug. 23, 2021, 3:45 a.m.

Can I freeze this meal?

PUL Team - Aug. 25, 2021, 5:44 a.m.

Hi there, Giggle, we haven't tested it out, but we imagine it would freeze well in an air-tight container for up to 3 months though :)


Livia - Aug. 16, 2021, 11:13 p.m.

Love these recipes! I'm just wondering where you got your pans from :) they look very nice!

PUL Team - Aug. 18, 2021, 12:35 a.m.

Hi Livia, the white pan with wooden handles is from a company called Ambition. Just a heads up, the colour does fade and become yellowish in the centre over time. We do have other similar pots and pans in our shop here though: pickuplimes.com/shop/?filter=… 😊


Elisa - Aug. 12, 2021, 8:42 a.m.

The recipe sound delicious, can't wait to try it!
Would it works more like a stew than a soup adding a bit less water?

thank you!

PUL Team - Aug. 12, 2021, 4:25 p.m.

Hey Elisa! You could add less water if desired or strain the soup after cooking to reduce the liquid. The water also helps to dilute the flavours a bit though so we'd recommend starting with 1/2 a bouillon cube if using less water and adding more to taste.

We haven't tested it out, but experimenting with some starch (such as cornstarch) may also help achieve a more stew-like consistency. We hope you enjoy the recipe if you give it a try 😊


Liz - July 27, 2021, 11:28 p.m.

This is one of my favorite soups! I added coconut milk instead of the yogurt. Thanks so much for the hearty and healthy soup recipe! :)

PUL Team - July 29, 2021, 5:37 p.m.

A lovely substitute, Liz, thanks for sharing!


Hannah - July 25, 2021, 10:35 a.m.

This is the best curry soup ever. When I made this for my mum she couldn’t believe how flavourful it was. Mum often asks for it now. Sending lots of hugs and kisses.

PUL Team - July 27, 2021, 1:13 a.m.

So honoured to hear, Hannah! Thanks a bunch for sharing ☺️


Hadeel - July 22, 2021, 7:59 p.m.

My favourite lentil soup, I make it at least once every two weeks (only because it is summer)

We need more "Summer Meals" recipes please πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»πŸ™πŸ»

PUL Team - July 23, 2021, 3:21 a.m.

Thank you for the review and request, Hadeel! Noted πŸ€“


Isa - July 11, 2021, 7:03 p.m.

I am sneaking in some Vegan dishes whenever I could when I cook for my family. And this was the first recipe that I did not have any complaints about! It is super simple, and so damn delicious. Will make this more often when I cook for non-plant-base eaters.

PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 2:42 p.m.

A huge compliment, Isa, thank you for sharing! So glad the curry soup was enjoyed 🌻


Sonya - July 9, 2021, 2:57 p.m.

I loved this recipe, absolutely delicious! My partner who does not like lentils loved this and asked for more.
Definitely will make again as my mouth is watering writing this!

PUL Team - July 14, 2021, 9:52 p.m.

Such an incredible review, Sonya, thank you!


Victoria - July 8, 2021, 7:40 p.m.

I feel like I must have done something wrong because 99% of Sadia's recipes are amazing, but this one fell a bit off the mark for me. I probably didn't use enough mushrooms...

PUL Team - July 10, 2021, 7:15 p.m.

Hey there, Victoria! Thanks for sharing your honest review with us. Would you kindly mind sharing if you used the same portion sizes as the recipe provides? If you did and are hoping to try the recipe again, another idea may be checking if your spices are all fresh as using older ones may impact the flavour. We hope it turns out better if you give the recipe another try ✨


Janelle - June 19, 2021, 11 a.m.

Wow! This soup was amazing. So full of flavour and comforting on a cold winter's evening here in Australia. I squeezed a bit of lime juice over it at the end which added freshness. Hearty and Nourishing ~ thank you!

PUL Team - June 21, 2021, 6:24 a.m.

Oo love the lime juice idea! The thanks is to you, Janelle πŸ˜ƒ


Mara - April 10, 2021, 7:36 p.m.

On days when I just can't think of anything exciting to cook, I can always rely to get inspiration from your recipes! I absolutely love your new website and this soup was so flavourful and simply delicious! πŸ˜‹

PUL Team - April 11, 2021, 12:31 a.m.

We appreciate this so much, Mara! So glad you're enjoying the new site :D


Miriam - April 9, 2021, 5:21 p.m.

I love all your recipes , Sadia !!
This soup is absolutely amazing , flavourful , it nourishes the mind and body too .
Thank you for another delicious recipe πŸ€—

PUL Team - April 9, 2021, 11:22 p.m.

Aww this means so much, Miriam! So happy you enjoyed the soup :)


Cadence - March 31, 2021, 3:54 p.m.

This was really good! Full of flaver and spice!

PUL Team - April 3, 2021, 1 a.m.

So glad you enjoyed it, Cadence πŸ€—


Rachel- Richmond, VA USA - March 22, 2021, 9:12 a.m.

Sadia,
This soup is divine. It is beautifully seasoned. Thank you for a great recipe.

PUL Team - March 31, 2021, 5:59 a.m.

We are so happy to hear you enjoyed the soup, Rachel πŸ₯°