Recently, I’ve developed a new obsession with ingredients. Whether it’s incorporating new vegetables, experimenting with spices, or finding novel ways to use old favorites, I feel like I’ve entered a bit of a cooking renaissance. It all started with a hand-me-down electric blade spice grinder, and since then, it’s been gaining momentum. The flavor of freshly ground cumin was like night and day compared to the pre-ground supermarket variety I’d been using before. That revelation led me to take the plunge into exclusively buying whole spices and mixing my own blends.

Throughout this journey, I’ve had a trustworthy sidekick: The Spice Companion by Lior Lev Sercarz. It’s like a spice almanac—a beautiful and inspiring book that details an array of spices, their flavors, and their histories. Every time I open it, I feel invigorated and ready to push the boundaries of my culinary skills. With that inspiration, I decided to make a lentil soup using the freshest and best ingredients I could find. I sought out fresh curry leaves and turmeric and got to work.

This all sounded great in theory, but the recipe hit a lot of speed bumps along the way. After some trial and error, I realized the amount of effort and time I was sinking into it wasn’t justified by the flavors I was getting out of it. Feeling deflated, I decided to give it one more shot with a key change: I would streamline the ingredients and use curry powder instead of individual spices. But I didn’t use just any curry powder—I toasted and ground my own. The result was a rich, flavorful soup that I was super happy with, minus the overwhelming steps.

For this recipe, I highly recommend toasting and grinding your own curry powder spice mix. It might seem daunting, but a blade spice grinder can be purchased for as little as $25 and makes a world of difference. If you’re not ready to take that leap, I totally understand—just make sure you’re using fresh, high-quality curry powder. (That jar in your spice cabinet since before the pandemic probably won’t cut it!)

A few quick notes: This recipe makes a large batch, making it perfect for meal prepping. Feel free to cut it in half if you don’t have a large Dutch oven or don’t want too much soup. Also, for the curry powder, I followed this online recipe that I really liked. This recipe calls for an omani lime, a dried Iranian lime that adds lovely acidity to the soup. If you can’t find one, a few thick slices of fresh lime work as a substitute. I hope this soup warms your home soon!

Active time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (with seeds)
• 3 tbsp minced ginger
• 3.5 tbsp curry powder
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 1 cauliflower, broken into very small florets
• 1 bunch collard greens, thinly sliced (including stems)
• 1.5 cups red lentils, rinsed
• ½ cup unsweetened coconut shreds
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 omani lime, pierced a few times (or a couple of thick slices of fresh lime)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• ½ tsp sumac
• Salt
• Water
• Neutral oil (for cooking)

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven on medium-low heat. Add enough neutral oil to cover the bottom with a thin layer (about 3 tbsp). Sauté the onions, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and starting to brown.
2. Add the curry powder and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly to toast the spices. Then, add 1 cup of water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze and release any stuck-on spices.
3. Add the carrots, cauliflower, collard greens, lentils, coconut shreds, nutritional yeast, omani lime, and vegetable broth. Add enough additional water to cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes with the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally.
4. At the end of cooking, the lentils should be extremely soft and almost broken down. Remove the omani lime with a slotted spoon. Stir in the sumac and season with salt to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your vegetable broth, you may need up to 1 tsp of additional salt, so don’t hold back.
5. Serve hot and enjoy!