Indian Lentil Soup Recipe with Apples {Vegan, Gluten-Free} (2024)
Last Updated on By Vicky33 Comments
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Indian Lentil soup – simply the most incredible lentil soup ever. Made with red lentils and the addition of apple to take things to the next level. Gluten-Free and Vegan.
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Coming across a winning soup recipe is like winning a mini lottery to me. My eyes lit up and I could skip and dance with joy.
No joke.
You know how much I love soups with my recent posts proclaiming my love for creamy vegan zucchini soup, creamy pumpkin soup, creamy broccoli soup, you name it.
Especially since I just recently got my lower wisdom teeth removed I have an even deeper appreciation now for soup. If not for creamy soups I simply would have starved during my week on a strictly liquid diet.
While I always fantasized about committing to a 2 or 3 day juice cleanse I can now with full honesty say I would never be able to complete it. Even with my wisdom teeth removed and not being able to eat solid food I could not survive on juice or smoothies alone.
I would be flat out starving. To the point that I thought I might just faint if I didn’t have some sustenance.
Ok, that might be a slight exaggeration.
But seriously, I do not know how people can go on the juice cleanses or water fasts. Definitely absolutely for surenot for me.
Creamy soup diet though, that I could handle.
And that’s exactly how I was able to make it through the liquid wisdom teeth diet.
With lots and lots of creamy dreamy soup.
And this one right here, this vegan Indian lentil soup recipe is the ultimate winner. I rarely mix and match fruit and veggies. I like to keep them separate.
Fruit by itself or with sweets and veggies/lentils with the rest of the savory ingredients in their own category.
When I saw this Indian lentil soup recipe though Iknew I needed to make it asap. Red lentilsandapples together inone recipe? Um yes, absolutely need to try this outimmediately.I was intrigued and I had to see how this was going to turn out. I mean who has thought to put red lentils and apples together in one recipe?
And just as I suspected it was simply the best soup evaa. You won’t even be able to tell there are apples in the soup. They just add a soft creamy mushiness to the mix and really compliment the vibrant red lentils very well.
With the various spices and coconut milk, this vegan Indian lentil soup with apples is perfectly spiced and just the aromas themselves will have you drooling for me. Now this is far from an authentic Indian lentil soup recipe – I highly doubt that one has apples in it, but I felt that with all of the spices that I was using I could safely title this as an Indian lentil soup recipe.
Seriously, this Indian lentil soup is my new favorite soup recipe. Make a large batch as soon as possible. You won’t regret it.
Oh and the red lentils are so cute themselves. Smaller than the other lentils and cook faster too.
You can puree the Indian lentil soup in a blender or leave it chunky as is. I actually prefer it chunky – I love the mix of all the different ingredients coming together and love taking a small bite into the apples and lentils.
I’ll leave that one up to you though. Let me know which way you prefer?
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Looking for more soup inspiration? Check out these recipes:
Simply the most incredible Indian lentil soup ever. Made with red lentils and the addition of apple to take things to the next level. Gluten-Free and Vegan.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium to high heat and add the chili, carrots, and onions. Cook for about a few minutes until softened.. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute or until aromatic.
Add the apples, ginger, cumin, red pepper flaked, turmeric, salt and coriander.
Add the lentils and vegetable broth. Mix and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until the lentil become soft. Mix occasionally.
Once the lentils are cooked add the coconut milk bring to a boil and remove from heat.
Optional - use and immersion blender or blender to make the soup smooth and creamy.
Lentils are naturally gluten-free. They are recommended for people with celiac disease and other gluten-related disorders. However, like oats, they appear to be at a heightened risk of cross contact with gluten-containing grains.
Why does my lentil soup taste bland? Lentils have a relatively mild taste and take well to seasonings. To avoid a bland lentil soup, use a flavorful broth—whether that's homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. The other key is building flavor.
Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.
You'll find that the lentils mostly breakdown and naturally thicken the soup. But what I like to do to get a really luscious creamy texture is to give the soup a quick whizz with a blender stick (or transfer a couple of cups to the blender) to puree SOME but not all the lentils.
Made from finely milled white rice, rice flour is a great substitute for wheat flour. It works very well as a thickening agent because it prevents liquid separation – it is particularly good for soups, gravies and sauces but can also work for cakes, cookies and crackers.
Is basmati rice gluten-free? Yes. This is a long-grain rice that separates and becomes fluffy when cooked. It's fragrant, and you can find it in white and brown varieties.
Another reason that lentils are known for causing gas and bloating is because they are high in what's called raffinose. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) are known to cause stomach discomfort and bloating because the human body lacks the enzyme required to break them down within the digestive tract.
If you eat fiber-rich lentils regularly, they can cause gas and bloating. If you are sensitive to fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyol (FODMAP) foods, lentils can cause discomfort, as well as bloating and gas in the colon.
the color change you've observed is from oxidation. If you want to prevent this, lay some plastic wrap over the surface of your lentils to prevent air from getting to them, or add some acid, like lime juice, to the recipe.
Since lentils are starchy, earthy in flavor, and can be on the bland side, there are many ways to make them flavorful, including by adding them into soup. When other ingredients are introduced that complement lentils like onions, garlic, spices, and lemon, the taste is out of this world.
That means the foam will typically appear when making meat-based broths and, to a lesser degree, soups made from high-protein vegetables such as chickpeas and lentils. When those coagulated proteins cluster together, they can create air pockets, which is what causes the “sudsy bubbles,” says Trout.
The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.
Rinsing lentils will allow you to get rid of any accumulated dust, dirt, small rocks, twigs and possibly bugs that have come along for the ride: you don't want any of that in your food!
You can add some cornflour mixed in little water and let it boil with your soup till get nice thick consistency. And if you are a health conscious fellow then go for cooked oats. As I do, cook some oats along with lentils and then puree it to make soup. This will not only thicken your soup but add some more health too.
Not necessarily. Many canned soups contain gluten ingredients, frequently in the form of thickeners. Cream-based soups feature more wheat flour than you might even realize.
Campbell's® Cream of Chicken Gluten Free Soup starts with high-quality chicken stock, fresh cream and tender chicken raised without antibiotics for deliciously smooth flavor.
Introduction: My name is Chrissy Homenick, I am a tender, funny, determined, tender, glorious, fancy, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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