Red Lentil Curry Soup with Farro – Instant Pot

This hearty, red lentil curry soup has it all – great curry flavor, chewy farro, and creamy red lentils – all made simple with an Instant pot.

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About this Red Lentil Curry Soup Recipe

I’ve been thinking about this soup recipe for a while. I love curry and I love lentils, so putting them together was a no brainer. But, many lentil curry soup recipes contain tomatoes, and while I also love tomatoes, I didn’t want them in my lentil curry soup. Plus, I wanted some texture – something chewy and tasty.

After some experimentation, I chose red lentils because they work out great in soup by falling apart and blending in with all the other ingredients. And I settled on farro for the chewy grain. I went back to a staple of ours for the curry seasonings and used the same ones that I used in my shrimp curry with coconut milk. It worked its magic in this soup too. When I tested it out on neighbors, one of them said, “This is just what I needed today; some comfort food.” I hope it works out that way for you when you make it.

Ingredients

Lentil Curry Soup Ingredients

• Red lentils – the best lentils for soup
• Farro – a chewy ancient wheat grain
• Seasonings (see below)
• Onion & garlic – add allium flavors
• Extra virgin olive oil – used to sauté the onion and garlic

Seasoning Ingredients

• Coconut milk – the creamy soup base
• Soy sauce – for salt and flavor
• Red curry paste – gives the soup a bit of a bite
• Lime juice – citric acid brings out other flavors
• Coconut sugar – adds a little sweetness
• Ginger – tastes great in curries
• Garam masala – a mixture of spices

Making Red Lentil Curry Soup

Mix the seasoning ingredients

• Get out the ingredients needed for the seasonings.
• Pour the coconut milk into a mixing bowl or cup.
• Measure and add each ingredient to the coconut milk.
• Use a whisk to mix the seasonings.

Saute the onion and garlic

• Chop up the onion and mince or finely chop the garlic.

• Add some oil to the Instant Pot (IP) and press the Sauté button.
• Sauté the onion for a couple of minutes and then add the garlic.
• Cook these ingredients until they are clear but not browned.

Cook the soup

• After the onion and garlic have cooked a bit, turn off the IP.
• Add the lentils, farro, and seasonings to the IP.
• Stir to combine the ingredients.
• Put the lid on the IP.
• Press Pressure Cook and set the time for 14 minutes.
• You can either release the pressure or let it release naturally.

Serving Red Lentil Curry Soup

When the soup is done, grab some bowls, a ladle, and serve the lentil curry soup alongside some bread or a small salad. It’s a stand-alone meal, but bread is always fun with soup.

More Info about Farro and Garam Masala

• Farro is an ancient wheat grain that is making a comeback. It has a nutty flavor and a chewy texture that works wonderfully in this lentil curry soup. Plus, with lots of fiber, protein, and vitamins, it’s good for you. The farro most commonly found in the U.S. and Europe is emmer wheat. You might have to look for it in specialty stores or you can order it from Amazon. If you want more info about farro, check out this article.
• Garam masala is a combination of spices that are commonly used in many Indian dishes. The word masala means spices and garam means hot, but the brand that I use is pretty mild. The spices that are used in garam masala vary by brand, so read the labels and make sure you’ll like what you get. If you haven’t tried this spice blend, I highly recommend it.