Curried Lentil Soup with Garlic-Butter Naan

My friend Gabby sent me a few photos of the spring that's blossoming on Emory's campus in Atlanta. I'm still stuck in soup weather, so here's yet another vegetarian-friendly, lentil soup recipe that'll hopefully make you feel all warm & fuzzy inside - even on a busy weeknight! 

Recipe: Curried Lentil Soup with Garlic-Butter Naan 

For the soup:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 teaspoon of freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of Thai Curry Paste
1/2 pound of dried lentils*
1 tablespoon of butter or ghee** (optional, I think this small amount goes a long way!)
1 dried bay leaf
salt & black pepper, to taste
4 cups of vegetable broth (or water)

chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

For the naan:
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened (room temperature for 30 minutes or microwave for 15 seconds)**
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro
salt & black pepper, to taste
4 naans


Stovetop instructions: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a soup pot. When the oil sizzles, add the onions and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Add all of the ingredients up to (and including) the Thai Red Curry paste and toast the spices for a minute, mixing the ingredients continuously to break up the paste that forms. Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Once the soup boils, simmer on the lowest setting for 20-30 minutes, or until the lentils have softened and the texture of the soup is as creamy as you'd like it to be. Stir occasionally and add 1-2 more cups of broth or water if the lentils seem too dry. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve with garlic-butter naan.

In a slow-cooker***: Mix all of the ingredients into a 2-qt slow cooker (or double the ingredients and cook in a larger slow-cooker if that's what you have) on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours.

For the naan (prepare right before serving): Heat a dry frying pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Whip the garlic, cilantro, salt and black pepper with the softened butter. Brush both sides of each naan bread with the garlic butter. Toast the naan on both sides until golden brown. Brush on more garlic butter if you'd like before serving.



*I used red lentils here, which burst more readily, but green lentils work well, too! They hold their shape better, even when they're not the firmer, puy-de-lent variety.
**Use dairy-free butter to make this recipe vegan-friendly
***The raw, acidic taste of tomato paste ought to be cooked out over dry heat first, but to be honest, I haven't had a problem with cooking everything all at once in a slow cooker!