Sweet Peas and Saffron

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Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup

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Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup is comforting and full of spicy Thai flavors. Full of nourishing ingredients including red lentils, sweet potatoes and coconut milk that will fill you up while keeping things healthy.

Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup in pot with limes and baguette slices

When it comes to soup, nothing beats a big bowl of creamy lentil soup. Not only does it have the most heavenly smooth texture, but it actually fills you up!

The other thing I love about red lentil soup is that it is a complete blank canvas for whatever you’d like to flavor it with. Most often people will go Italian or Greek with their lentil soup flavors (and you can check out this Greek Lentil Soup for my personal version).

But today I’m sharing my absolute favorite way to spice up lentil soup: with the flavors of Thailand! Red curry paste, fish sauce and lime juice bring the spicy/salty/sour flavors that are characteristic of Thailand, while sweet potatoes balance everything out with a bit of sweetness, and coconut milk brings a rich, creamy texture to the soup.

Between the red lentils, sweet potatoes and coconut milk, you will be hard pressed to find anything creamier than this Thai curry lentil soup!

ย Creamy Thai Curry Lentil Soup before pureeing

Thai Curry Soup after pureeing

How to make this Thai curry red lentil soup

Creamy soups are pretty hard to screw up, and this one is oh-so-simple:

  1. Sautee your onions.
  2. Add garlic, ginger and red curry paste, then stir up for 1 or so minute. This helps bring out the flavors of the curry paste as well as helps it soften and mix in properly.
  3. Add the rest of the veggies, the stock, some fish sauce and lime juice. Simmer until everything is softened. This should take around 20 minutes.
  4. Bust out your immersion blender (this is the one I have) and blend everything until it is creamy and dreamy.
  5. Stir in the coconut milk some extra lime juice and salt. Adding some extra lime juice at the end really helps brighten the flavors of the soup!

ย Thai soup with sweet potatoes and lentils in pot beside baguette slices

How to store and serve this Thai soup

  • This Thai soup makes for the perfect lunch. Not only is it filling (thank you lentils for that protein!), but it actually gets better after sitting overnight. This makes it absolutely perfect for a meal prep lunch!
  • I love storing this soup in these meal mugs, because you can re-heat them right in the storage container. So convenient for packing soup in your lunch.
  • This curried lentil soup also freezes like a dream! I like these freezer jars for soup, and you can freeze it for up to 3 months…in fact, I’ve frozen it for even longer with no issues.
  • We serve this recipe with some crusty baguette but it is also great served with some soda crackers.

Dunking bread in Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup

Swaps and options for this curry lentil soup

Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped my Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.

ย Tips for the BEST curry lentil soup

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4.91 from 21 votes

Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup

Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Thai
Calories: 148kcal
Servings: 6
Creamy Thai Curry Red Lentil Soup is comforting and full of spicy Thai flavors. Full of nourishing ingredients including red lentils, sweet potatoes and coconut milk that will fill you up while keeping things healthy.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Total Time50 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 1 tbsp ginger peeled & diced into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste My favorite curry paste
  • 1 medium sweet potato {500g} peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
  • 3 cups stock {veggie or chicken}
  • 3/4 cup dried red lentils
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice

After simmering:

  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1/4 tsp salt {or more; to taste}
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • 1 tsp fish sauce

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and cooked through. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a minute.
  • Add the curry paste and cook until onions/garlic/ginger are coated and you can smell the curry paste, 30 seconds-1minute.
  • Add the sweet potato, carrots, stock, lentils, fish sauce and lime juice. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until lentils and sweet potato are cooked through.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Stir in the coconut milk. Add salt and additional lime juice and fish sauce to taste.

Notes

Nutritional Information (for 1 of 6 servings)
Calories: 204 // Fat: 7g // Saturated Fat: 4g // Cholesterol: 0 mg // Sodium 507mg // Carbohydrates: 26g // Fiber: 6g // Sugars 4g // Protein 8g

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of batch | Calories: 148kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 909mg | Potassium: 388mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 142.5% | Vitamin C: 6.8% | Calcium: 3.5% | Iron: 11.1%

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Comments

  3. Tiffany

    November 29, 2018 at 11:17 am


    I have made this soup over a dozen times! Itโ€™s a favourite in my house. I usually double and Iโ€™ve even tripled the recipe and gifted some soup! We love to add thinly sliced, super ripe mango As a garnish- itโ€™s absolutely delicious! And as a bonus, Iโ€™ve made potatoe and pea samosas to dip in and honestly, itโ€™s divine. Iโ€™m preparing to make some this weekend!

    Reply

    • Denise

      December 3, 2018 at 10:49 pm

      Hi Tiffany, I’m so happy you enjoy this soup! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review ๐Ÿ™‚ Also I’m going to have to try it with mango now!

      Reply

  6. Danielle

    October 12, 2018 at 7:59 am


    This is one of the best soups I’ve ever had! I used soy sauce to keep it vegan and oh man! It’s so velvety and has just enough of a kick to warm you up. I’ve made it a bunch of times and my twin toddlers love it too! One time I was out of sweet potatoes so I used butternut squash instead and it worked really well too, but the original is perfection. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!!

    Reply

  7. Khristen

    October 7, 2018 at 5:47 pm


    This soup is absolutely delicious!! While the temperatures outside aren’t fall just yet, although it’s October, I’ve been feeling like making fall-type dishes. I came across your recipe and was extremely interested. It’s not spicy whatsoever, but has such a full flavor. The ginger and spices come together perfectly! I ended up using soy sauce instead of fish sauce since that’s what I had on hand. I was also nervous to use coconut milk since I’m not a fan of anything coconut. It merged very well, gave a subtle sweetness, and added more creamy goodness to the mix. I think a nice apple cider (alcoholic or non-) would pair great with this. Thank you for sharing your creativity!

    Reply

  8. Amber

    September 16, 2018 at 6:59 pm

    I really want to make this, sounds delish. However, I just had weight loss surgery and have to avoid spicy foods. How spicy are we talking here? Do you have a suggestion for a milder version?
    Thank you so much!

    Reply

  11. Maureen

    October 4, 2017 at 11:47 am

    This recipe looks so tasty that I plan on making it this week but am wondering how it would taste without the coconut milk. I love coconut milk but see that 400 ml is 933 calories. Does the coconut milk really add to the flavour or would milk work as well.

    Reply

    • Denise

      October 5, 2017 at 1:35 pm

      Hi Maureen, I HIGHLY recommend going for the coconut milk as it really adds flavor that goes with all the Thai seasonings in the recipe. As you can see, the calorie count is only 200 per serving, so it’s not very high at all. You could always try light coconut milk?

      Reply

  14. Terra

    September 17, 2017 at 3:29 pm

    I have been making this soup for a few years now and I have to say it is my favourite soup of all times. Life would not be the same without it. I make a HUGE dutch oven full for lunches for my husband and I. It’s a warm bowl of comfort that I love in any weather. There is something so smooth and satisfying about it. I can never get enough of this little bowl of goodness.

    Reply

  15. Amanda

    June 10, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    So delicious! My hubby and toddler both enjoyed it too which is very rare! And so easy to make, will become a new regular for me. Will hunt out your soup with lemongrass next.

    Reply

  17. Amy

    March 10, 2017 at 4:26 am


    I’m violently allergic to fish, & apparently vegan fish sauce uses mushrooms & our son is allergic to mushrooms…so, soy was most ofte cited as a substitute & I used that.

    So…I used more oil, switched to grapeseed oil (olive oil somehow didn’t seem to fit an Asian flavor profile to me).I put tge chopped carrots in 1st & let them soften…then added the sweet potatoes & gor then started to soften, then added the rest. Since the carrots I got weren’t very sweet, I added some sugar, ~ 2 tsp. I also used a half pound of Red lentils…because IMHO you can never have too many lentils. The Thai red curry paset I have has what I call an “afterburner” taste: the heat blossoms in the back of your mouth/throat. I added some of my favorite mild curry powder, Madras (I get vit from my spices age dot com) to mellow the buRN h a ltlle Hungarian paprika – ~1 tsp – to bring the burn forward more. .zthe combo didn’t alter the overall taste IMHO, even though paprika isn’t Thai.

    I also served it over plain quinoa, made in my rice cooker.

    The overall effect on the heat was mild enough for my husband, but with enough for my hot-sauce-on-everything (well, almost everything) son, it suited my somewhere-in-between heat preference. A constant taste test as I went resulted in these changes. It was very well received, but I was almost overstuffed on half a bowl, so I advisor waiting until 20 min. past your meal starttime to avoid feeling like an over-packed suitcase! lol
    Great recipe…I know I changed it up but your basics were great. I wouldn’t have thought of carrots & sweet potatoes with red lentils! You’re a genius! Also, I hate pureed soups, sorry…I got a taste of them when we lived in Scotland. Both my husband & I disliked it. instead, I mashed up some of the soft sweet potatoes ลฅo thicken it. served it over quinoa because it was too thin for our tastesm, plus quinoa is a neutral taste that blends well with other stuff, plus adds protein.

    Reply

  18. Krista Bullen

    November 8, 2016 at 6:41 pm

    Made this soup last night. It is DELICIOUS!!!!!! A new favourite for me. I added 2 tbsp of curry paste (I like spicy). I will be making this again and again!

    Reply

  19. Milly

    April 7, 2016 at 1:03 pm

    Love this soup. I did change a couple of things. Used coconut oil instead of olive oil. Added 1/2 tsp. of cumin seeds to the oil before adding onion. Also, used 4 cups of stock instead of three. Will certainly make again.

    Reply

  24. Marianne

    January 21, 2016 at 5:20 am

    Wow, this is amazing!! This was the first soup I made and I love it! Thank you for such an amazing recipe! ๐Ÿ™‚
    Greetings from Finland!

    Reply

    • Denise

      January 21, 2016 at 10:38 am

      Thank-you SO much, Marianne! I’m glad you liked the soup! I am going to be posting another sweet potato soup, this time with some Caribbean flavors, in the next week or so!

      Reply

    • Denise

      December 3, 2015 at 9:18 pm

      You are quite right! I thought I had fixed that, sorry about that! Not meaning to mislead anyone. Reagan mentioned in a comment above that she subbed the fish sauce with liquid aminos? But someone else mentioned that there may be fish or shrimp in certain curry pastes. Thanks, Amanda!

      Reply

  27. Suzanne Gillis

    November 7, 2015 at 11:29 am

    I made a double batch of this soup for my book club, which met last night. I made it the day ahead because I had a busy day yesterday, and I suspect the extra day of mixing of flavors just added to the soup’s deliciousness. It was a huge hit at book club. People went back for seconds and gave rave reviews. What a perfect soup for a chilly wet fall night amongst friends. I am loving your recipes! So glad I found you!

    Reply

    • Denise

      November 7, 2015 at 2:54 pm

      I LOVED reading your comment, Suzanne! I agree, the soup gets so much better over night! I am glad that you and your friends liked it. I actually have a similar soup going up next week, except it will be with butternut squash and lemongrass!

      Reply

  28. Angela

    November 1, 2015 at 7:17 am

    This sounds delish! I always am on the hunt for new soup recipes to try. During the colder months, I usually make a pot of soup on the weekend to eat for lunch during my busy week! I am going to try this, but sub in butternut squash for the sweet potato, as that is what I have on hand. I am sure it will turn out great!

    Reply

    • Denise

      October 21, 2015 at 9:18 am

      Hi Juan Carlo! There is a popular cookbook that my mom owned (The White Water Cookbook), and we used to make her Ymir Curry Bowls, which have sweet potatoes in a Thai curry sauce…and it was my favorite! The flavors are really nice together ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  30. Raegan

    October 11, 2015 at 4:09 pm

    This is excellent! I used coconut oil instead of olive; full-fat coconut milk because, honestly, it’s so much more flavorful than lite; and 1/2 t of liquid aminos to give it that umami flavor since I was out of fish sauce. Will be making again!

    Reply

    • Denise

      October 13, 2015 at 11:06 am

      I am so glad you liked the soup, Raegan! I definitely love the flavor from full-fat coconut milk. I have never purchased liquid aminos, but will have to keep an eye out for them ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply

    • Denise

      July 5, 2015 at 3:37 pm

      Hi Stephie! I’m so glad you like the soup! It gets better as time goes on, so I hope you have a week of delicious lunches ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  32. Kayla

    June 7, 2015 at 6:29 pm


    Just made this tonight. So different from anything I’ve had before, but what a delight! I will certainly be making this again AND will be having the leftovers for lunch this week. I couldn’t find red lentils so I used green and added 1/2 cup more stock to the pot (still simmered the soup for 30 mins.)

    Reply

  33. Augusta

    May 21, 2015 at 4:41 pm


    This soup is AMAZING!!!! My whole family practically licks their bowls clean! Love the creamy texture and great flavor.

    Reply

  34. Bridget

    May 13, 2015 at 7:26 am

    this recipe and I must say loved it didn’t have a immersion blender but I used a potatoe masher I like the rustic for me very good it knocked out a tummy bug I had over the weekend

    Reply

  35. Malia

    April 27, 2015 at 7:00 pm


    This recipe is fantastic! I followed your directions precisely and then tossed in some diced pickled jalapeรฑos and some fresh cilantro. Thank you for sharing such great recipes with us ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

  37. Katherine

    March 15, 2015 at 2:45 pm


    This was fantastic. Very pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was! Pureed it in a blender and added some chili powder for some kick, it was awesome. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Denise

      March 15, 2015 at 8:30 pm

      Thanks so much for reporting back, Katherine, and I’m so glad to hear that you liked it! I will have to try some chili powder next time I make the soup ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  38. Natalie

    February 25, 2015 at 9:09 am

    Might there be a way to substitute the curry paste with curry and tomatoe paste? Hmm, I don’t have fish sauce either. Maybe I should run to the store? Really want to try this now, though!

    Reply

    • Denise

      February 25, 2015 at 9:20 pm

      Hi Natalie! Thai curry paste is made up of all sorts of fun things: lemongrass, galangal, chiles…so in short, no you won’t get the same flavor using tomato paste and curry powder. I hope you give it a try, though! This is one of my most popular recipes (and one of my personal favorites!) Good luck ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

    • Denise

      February 15, 2015 at 10:37 pm

      Hi Kayla! The curry paste I use is Cock Brand, this one here. It is recommended to me by my Thai mother in law who also used to run a restaurant in Thailand…so I trust her recommendations ๐Ÿ˜‰ Hope you enjoy the soup!

      Reply

  41. Ana

    February 1, 2015 at 5:50 pm


    Thank you so much for sharing this, I just made it for dinner and it was delicious. I added in an extra carrot because why not, but it was so good. Everyone in the family liked it.

    Reply

  42. Hilary

    January 20, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    This is simmering on my stove right now and smells amazing. I also have a little pot next to the big one with a baby-friendly version (no onions, garlic, curry paste, or fish sauce). I love finding recipes that my 6 month old can eat with the rest of the family. Thanks!

    Reply

    • Denise

      January 20, 2015 at 10:43 pm

      Hi Hilary! I hope you enjoyed the soup, and hope your baby liked the ‘baby-friendly’ version! My little guy, he’s 15 months now, but for awhile there his absolute favorite puree was lentils and sweet potato, it was great because he wouldn’t eat meat or anything that wasn’t ‘sweet’. Here’s the link to the recipe I used, I made batches and batches of it and he just couldn’t get enough ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  43. Tara

    December 3, 2014 at 5:10 pm


    I just finished eating this soup and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. It’s minus 4 here in Berlin and this was the perfect winter comfort food with the bonus of being healthy and really easy to make. I didn’t have fresh coriander to add but i bet that’s a nice addition. My flatmate that I shared it with said she could really taste the fish…I wondered what fish sauce is actually used for in such recipes?
    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • Denise

      December 4, 2014 at 8:46 pm

      Hi Tara! Sorry for not replying back right away. I’m glad you enjoyed the soup! The fish sauce shouldn’t be a potent flavor, it is more like a salty, extremely mild ‘pungent’ taste in the background. I find that if you can taste fish sauce in a dish that adding a bit of sugar balances it out. The fish sauce I use (recommended to me by a professional Thai chef!) is Cock Brand (there is a link in the recipe). It could be that the brand you used was a little stronger? Not sure.

      Reply

  44. rosesscott

    December 1, 2014 at 3:55 pm


    This soup is so delicious! I had something similar in a cafe once and tried to make it myself, but this recipe is the closest I found. I don’t puree mine as much and add some sweet pepper. It’s also great with chicken, but plenty hearty without. A great mix of flavours. Lime, green onions and cilantro make good garnishes.

    Reply

    • Denise

      December 1, 2014 at 4:48 pm

      I’m so glad you liked the soup ๐Ÿ™‚ I will have to try it with chicken and sweet pepper! My husband is always asking ‘where’s the meat?’ when I try to serve him vegetarian food ๐Ÿ˜‰

      Reply

  45. Marie

    November 18, 2014 at 11:43 am


    This looks delicious(!) and I can’t wait to make my own version, but please change the description to note that the recipe as written is not vegetarian. It can easily be amended to make it completely vegan, but any well-meaning chef who follows this recipe exactly should understand that their vegetarian loved ones won’t be able to eat it. If you omit the fish sauce, carefully check the label of your red curry paste to make sure it’s safe (many contain shrimp paste), and only use veggie broth, it will be delicious for all of your veggie friends. Other than that, it looks amazing!

    Reply

    • Denise

      November 18, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      Marie, you are totally right, my oversight on that one. I checked my curry paste and it did not contain shrimp, but obviously the fish sauce contains fish. I will change the label, and thank-you for pointing that out.

      Reply

  49. Isadora @ She Likes Food

    October 7, 2014 at 8:32 pm

    Congrats on your first day back! That must be so hard, but awesome you go to spend some time off work with Kai!! I am also loving soups these days and this one looks right up my alley! It has all the flavors I love and it also look so pretty! It has been kinda cold and rainy this week so this soup is totally calling my name ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply

  50. Andrea @ Cooking with Mamma C

    October 7, 2014 at 1:41 pm

    I was thinking of you and wondering when you’d be going back to work. I’m glad it went well! I am intrigued by this soup, but would have to sub something for the curry paste, since I don’t care for curry. Do you think cumin and paprika would work?

    Reply

  52. katie

    October 7, 2014 at 9:22 am


    Yay for soup season! This looks amazing Denise, love all the different flavors. I’m glad I’m not the only one who eats leftovers all week ๐Ÿ™‚
    Congrats on being back to work! 5 days in grown-up world after being on maternity leave is hard.

    Reply

  54. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter

    October 7, 2014 at 5:27 am

    Glad you made it back through your first full work week Denise! This soup sounds like the perfect comforting lunch to ease back in. I love Thai flavors and could also eat soup throughout the year. I am totally craving a big bowl of this gorgeous soup now too!

    Reply

  57. Kathi @ Deliciously Yum!

    October 6, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Soup is my best friend, especially now that it’s getting cold outside. I have always loved soups with lentils – my grandparents used them all the time and I’ve been obsessed with them ever since I was a little girl. I just know I’d devour this soup in no time. Looks so scrumptious!

    Reply

  58. Annie @Maebells

    October 6, 2014 at 2:02 pm


    I do not thin I have ever had anything Thai, it is just not something you see a lot around Nashville. (on the other hand, we have lots of gravy and biscuits ha!) And I have never really had the desire to try anything thai until I saw this soup. The color!! It is beautiful!

    Reply

    • Denise

      October 6, 2014 at 8:21 pm

      Oh, you have to try Thai, Annie, it is so good! I am such an addict, especially the curries. But I can also see the appeal of gravy and biscuits, too, especially this time of year ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  60. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

    October 6, 2014 at 11:22 am


    Glad you got thru your first week back at work! I bet that was quite the transition. Hugs to you momma. Hopefully you’ll get in the swing of your new routine soon.

    Ok, this soup sounds delicious! I love thai curry. Like, LOVE it! This soup sounds amazing. I do the same thing as you, I love making a huge pot of soup, then eating it for lunch for the week. The best!

    Reply

    • Denise

      October 6, 2014 at 8:16 pm

      Aww, thanks, Natalie! It is definitely a transition, but it is good for both of us to be at work/daycare. And yes to making a big old pot of soup and eating it all week…I think this is my new reality ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply

  61. [email protected]

    October 6, 2014 at 6:18 am

    Soup totally happens around here all year round too. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Couldn’t live without it! Right now I’m at that point where soup has been happening practically every day so I’m definitely craving a big bowlful of this! LOVE how smooth and creamy it looks!

    Reply

  62. Ceara @ Ceara's Kitchen

    October 6, 2014 at 5:47 am

    Hehe, I am just like you – I happily enjoy soup all year round – even on those hot summer days! And this soup looks right up my alley! It honestly could not look any creamier or comforting! Hope you rested up well this weekend after your week back at work!! Pinned onto my soup board!

    Reply

  64. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    October 5, 2014 at 2:01 pm

    Congrats on making it back through your first full work week! This soup sounds like the perfect lunch to help you get back into the swing of things. I also eat soup throughout the year, it’s just so good! I’ve never made a sweet potato soup before, so I’m loving this flavorful version. Looks delicious!

    Reply

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