Lentil Curry Soup

So it's been a while. I go through these periods of time where I get really into blogging and then I need a break. But, here is one of our favorite soup recipes. We make this quite often at our house.  This stuff is great.
This soup recipe is one that is not only warm to eat but is full of those delicious warm curry flavors. I love it so much! 
Besides the flavor being amazing, another awesome thing I like about it is that it comes together pretty fast which makes it great for a weeknight meal.
This soup is great for many dietary needs. It's anti-inflammatory which is awesome for me as I have been trialing foods right now.
Every week we try to do a meal that doesn't have any meat in it. This is a great recipe if your trying to cut out some meat because having the lentils in it makes it very filling.
*This picture isn't the most appetizing to look at but I promise it is worth trying!!!*

1 TBSP olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 TBSP dried ginger or 2 TBSP fresh minced ginger
2 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoon curry powder
dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 can  vegetable broth (2 cups)
1 can of coconut milk (2 cups)
1 cup green lentils
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves

1- In a medium sized stock pot heat olive oil over medium heat.

2- Add the onion and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes until they become translucent.

3- Add garlic and diced carrots and allow to cook for 2 minutes.

4- Add the cumin, curry powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and allow to cook 1-2 minutes.

5- Add vegetable broth, coconut milk, lentils, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a boil.

6- Turn heat to low and allow to simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

7- Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves and adjust salt and pepper as needed to taste.

**Randi's Side Notes**
~ Sometimes to much liquid evaporates out of the soup so I will end up needing to add in some more liquid. I USUALLY will add some almond coconut milk from my fridge if I have that on hand. If I do not then I add more vegetable broth.
~ Don't have vegetable broth? No problem. I have made this many times with chicken broth and felt like it tasted great.
~ If you prefer your soups more creamy, I would take half of the soup out and add it to a blender or use an immersion blender to give it a more creamy consistency.
~ If you really need some meat, I am sure some shredded chicken would be great added in. In this case I would use chicken broth instead of the vegetable broth and add in at least an extra cup of liquid.

This recipe has been adapted from a blog called In Sonnet's Kitchen.