With the near record lows outside, I am searching for something to make me warm! This curry coconut red lentil soup is a perfect hearty soup for dinner, and it is a healthy vegan option, with all the taste! I love the combinations of red lentils, sweet potatoes, and red peppers in this soup! The spices are amazing, and the coconut milk really finishes it off nicely!
Curry Coconut Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Red Peppers
adapted from whole living magazine
Serves 4-6
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 large onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, shredded
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
6 cups vegetable broth
1 cup coconut milk
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
chopped cilantro for garnish
In a large pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. add cumin, curry, and turmeric powders, and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add diced onions with 1/2 tsp of sea salt, and cook stirring until tender, about 6 minutes.
Add garlic, and ginger and cook stirring another 2 minutes.
Add diced sweet potatoes, and diced red peppers, and cook 1 minute.
Add red lentils, and broth, and bring to a bubbling boil, then turn down the heat to medium low and allow to simmer until the lentils are tender. About 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and stir in coconut milk.
Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving.
So, let me guess. One of your resolutions this New Year is to eat healthier? Am I right? I think we can all do a little better, especially after the holidays!
This is one of my new favorite salads, the combination of manchego cheese (a favorite) with macron almonds, and roasted red peppers really is taste bud heaven! And, it’s perfect as a light lunch or dinner!
Mixed Greens Salad with Manchego Cheese, Marcona Almonds, and Roasted Red Peppers with a Mustard Vinaigrette
Mixed Greens Manchego Cheese shavings Marcona Almonds (I get mine at costco!) Roasted Red Peppers
Mix together to the portions you prefer
Mustard Vinaigrette
1/4 cup white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon agave nectar 1 pinch of salt 1 pinch of fresh ground pepper 1 tablespoon good quality dijon mustard 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Whisk together all ingredients except for the oil. Drizzle in oil at the end very slowly as you whisk.
I love this time of year! So many great holiday treats to eat and to make!
I am teaming up with Harmons grocery stores today to bring you an amazing recipe for salted fleur de sel vanilla caramels!
I was able to tour the downtown Salt Lake City Creek Harmons! If you haven’t been in this store, it is amazing! Unlike any grocery store I have been in!
We were able to tour many areas of the store, and learn about Harmons amazing products from their happy employees along with owners Bob and Randy!
A few of the highlights for me:
Everything from the Harmons Deli and Bakery is freshly made from scratch in store. It never comes frozen. Even the salad dressing in their salad bar is made from scratch!
The bakery is top notch! I’ve never seen such beautiful pastries come out of a grocery store! All made from scratch, even their dough!
Their meat department is amazing! They fly in their fish fresh, and their meat is never frozen, it is local and fresh!
They sell ready cut, ready made items made from scratch for convenience and to keep your family healthy on-the-go.
All of their employees take pride in their work, and you can see it when they explain their job to you, they are passionate about fresh quality food!
The cheese island is an island I would like to be stranded on! Amazing cheese local, and from all over the world. They even went to Italy to scout out the best parmigiano reggiano source!
Harmons supports local businesses and features as many local products as they can. Even their flour and salt they use for the bakery is from local sources!
So, let’s talk about the amazing selection of gourmet salts they sell at Harmons near their cheese island.
I’ve never seen such an array of different kinds of salt. They sell everything from fleur de sel sea salt, to Himalayan pink salt, to lavendar salt.
I love how they sell smaller containers of their gourmet salts. Since gourmet salts can be pricey, and you may only need a little for your recipe, it is nice to have them sold in several different sizes.
Now, let’s get back to the amazing fleur de sel sea salt vanilla caramels!
These amazing caramels have real vanilla pods scraped with fresh vanilla beans that give them amazing flavor!
You will need a few items, I was able to pick all of these items up at Harmons Grocery:
Vanilla Caramels with Fleur de Sel
adapted from Ina Garten
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, sliced lengthwise and scraped of vanilla beans
1 tsp fleur de sel sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1) Line the bottom and sides of a 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper
2) Mix cream, butter, vanilla, vanilla bean pod and vanilla beans, and fleur de sel in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil until just bubbling, then remove from heat and set aside.
3) Combine sugar, water, and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. After sugar is dissolved, gently hold the pan by the handle and swirl the pan occasionally. Try not to stir with a spoon as it may cause sugar crystals to form. Once the mixture turns a golden brown after about 3-5 minutes of boiling. Remove from heat.
4) Remove the vanilla pods from the cream mixture, and carefully mix the cream mixture into the saucepan with the sugar corn syrup mixture. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will spit and spat, but be sure to combine them quickly. Place the saucepan back on the heat over medium low, and continue to simmer undisturbed until it registers about 230 degrees F on the candy thermometer for a soft chewy caramel or to 248 degrees F for a little firmer chewy caramel. (About 7-10 minutes) Once it reaches your desired temperature. Immediately remove from the heat and pour into your prepared 8×8 pan and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with a little fleur de sel on top. Then, continue to let it cool until completely set and cooled.
5) Carefully remove the caramel from the pan holding the edges of the parchment paper, and peel off the parchment paper. Place the caramel on a cutting board, and cut them with a buttered knife or pizza slicer into 1×1 inch squares.
Wrap individually in cellophane or wax paper, and package them up for your loved ones and neighbors this holiday season!
Now for the fun part!
Harmons is giving away $50 gift cards to their grocery stores! (Utah residents only)
You have 5 chances to win a $50 gift card! Enter by Dec 14th!!
Pop on over to see what recipes these bloggers are sharing with their goods from Harmons:
Brassy Apple
One Charming Party
Oh Sweet Basil Tatertots and Jello
{Disclosure: All photos by me, Caroline Armelle Drake. This is a sponsored post by Harmons Grocery. All thoughts and opinions are my own.}
