RED LENTILS W/ COCONUT MILK

Red Lentils with Coconut Milk

 

This is one of my favorite foods - its fast, delicious, and easy to throw together in five minutes for a quick simmer. It is so simple that I make this in a small cooker in our BE office at least once a week. The red lentils have no skins, so they actually fall apart, which is why this is such a tender bow of golden goodness.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound dried small red lentils, rinsed and picked over
One 13-ounce can light coconut milk (NOT the sweetened kind)
1 teaspoon curry powder or better yet Garam Masala spice (it's getting easier to find this)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro - good but optional

Saute onion in the oil, in a large pot over medium high heat until golden. Add the broth, lentils, coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are soft. Add additional water or broth to adjust thickness of soup to your likeness.

Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cilantro.

Yields 8 one-cup servings
Calories 209,
fat 4 grams,
carbs 38 grams,
fiber 15 grams,

protein 18 grams