Red curry lentils with sweet potatoes and spinach

Some years ago, I was at a Middle Eastern restaurant with my friend Kay, and we had a delicious, simple red lentil soup. Ever since, I've been on the look-out for recipes for red lentil soup. I've never found one that matches my memory of the soup in the restaurant, but the ongoing search was worth it, now that I've landed on this recipe from the New York Times. This one is a complex mix of flavors and textures that is a meal in itself, truly wonderful.

I've given the amounts of liquids (broth and coconut milk) for a stew-type consistency.  When I had leftovers for lunch, I thinned it out with water for more of a soup consistency, and it was still excellent. Of course thinning with more broth would also work.

The recipe is a little on the time-consuming time. The prep involves a good deal of chopping, and total cooking time is about 45 minutes. But worth it!

RED CURRY LENTILS WITH SWEET POTATOES AND SPINACH

adapted from 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020766-red-curry-lentils-with-sweet-potatoes-and-spinach

Serves 5-6

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes (You can substitute out half the amount with white potatoes, but all sweet potatoes is great.)

3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

1/2 T. Sriracha sauce or 1 red chile, seeded and minced (I use Sriracha)

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 cup red lentils, rinsed

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock

1 13-ounce can coconut milk (I use "lite")

5 ounces baby spinach

½ lime, juiced (a little more lime juice is also fine)

In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. 

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, Sriracha/chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the lentils and stock to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced, the lentils are creamy and falling apart, and the potatoes are fully cooked, 10-15 minutes.

Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Take the pot off the heat, and stir in the lime juice.

If desired, serve over some white or brown rice.