Description
Creamy Red Lentil Corn Chowder combines tender red lentils, sweet corn, tomatoes, coconut milk, smoky spices, and fresh lime in one cozy pot. It’s an easy, satisfying vegetarian dinner with plenty of bold flavor and just the right touch of heat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ jalapeño pepper, minced (optional)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chile powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1¼ cups split red lentils, rinsed
- 1 cup full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper hot sauce, or to taste
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro, optional, for topping
- Chopped scallions, optional, for topping
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the red onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the garlic, jalapeño, cumin, ancho chile powder, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Stir in the vegetable broth and red lentils. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and corn. Return to a gentle simmer and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the lentils are very soft and the corn is tender.
- If the chowder becomes too thick, stir in a little extra vegetable broth or water until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and hot sauce. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh cilantro and scallions, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Rinse the red lentils before cooking. Frozen corn can replace fresh corn without changing the basic method. For a milder chowder, omit the jalapeño and reduce the hot sauce. Red lentils naturally thicken the chowder as they cook and will continue to absorb liquid after refrigeration, so add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (⅙ of recipe)
- Calories: 330 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg