Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup

I've got a thing for soup lately.

 

Maybe because it's getting cooler, maybe because I'm trying to include more bone broth in my diet, maybe because you can just throw anything you want into a pot and call it soup.

And this soup is really about just that- throwing a bunch of semi-related ingredients into a pot and waiting until they magically melt together into something delicious. How does it happen?? You wouldn't think all of this stuff would go together, but it does. It really does.

If you set out to make this, I beg you- please put your thinking cap/game face on at the grocery store and DO NOT forget the naan. It is essential. You will be super sad if you forget it which will put you in no mood to whip up some naan from scratch. Trust me.

Get the naan and make your soup. And then save me a bowl.

Chicken, Coconut and Lentil Soup
by Oven Love, adapted from Scaling Back and  101 Cookbooks

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds (I used just 1/2 to keep the spice down)
• 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced/grated ginger 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped/grated
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup tomato paste 
• 7 cups chicken stock
• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas (or about 2 cups pre-soaked)
• 2 cups lentils (preferably red; I used green, which is what I had on hand)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving

Directions

1. Heat the coconut oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color.  
2. Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant.  
3. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, chicken, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on how soft you like your lentils. 
4. At the end of cooking, add the lime juice to taste and adjust with more salt if desired.  Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.