¾cupcoconut creamfrom canned coconut milk (NOT "Cream of Coconut")
½teaspoonsaltor to taste
¼cupfresh cilantrochopped for garnish
Instructions
Dice onion and sauté with cumin and red pepper flakes in the bottom of large soup pot for several minutes until onions are almost clear. Add minced garlic and ginger and sauté for another minute.
Rinse and add lentils, can of diced tomatoes with green chilis, tomato paste, water and vegan chicken broth seasoning or vegetable broth.
Bring soup to a boil, then place the lid on the pot and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes or until lentils are soft, adding rinsed and drained canned red beans at about the ½ hour mark.
Just before serving (after the heat is turned off!) add just the cream from a can of chilled coconut milk (you can save the liquid for smoothies later!) and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
What is coconut cream and why use it?
When you chill a can of full-fat coconut milk in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight, the creamy part that solidifies at the top is called the 'cream'. Open your can carefully (ie. don't shake it up!) and scoop the cream out to add ultimate creamy-dreaminess to your lentils - without any dairy!There are also quite a few stores where you can now buy canned coconut cream. No need to chill in order to separate it, just straight up use it!Expert tip - Making the best Broth:Instead of making or buying vegetable broth all the time, I like to keep vegan chicken-style bouillon on hand and then just add the water and bouillon needed to the pot. Aside from the easy storage, I find the flavor to be far superior to vegetable broth in many recipes. Sometimes I make my own vegan chicken broth, or I often purchase McKay's or Better than bouillon.
Red Beans vs. Kidney Beans:
You can use either, but I prefer canned red beans. They are slightly softer and a bit smaller than traditional kidney beans, and are the perfect complement to lentils is this recipe.