I’m starting another juice cleanse on Tuesday so this weekend I’ve had to be very careful about what I eat. But last night I was sick of brown rice and kale (apparently one CAN overdo it!) so I went to my favorite recipe hotspot, 101 Cookbooks, to find a solution. I came across this recipe which was different than anything I’ve ever made but somehow comforting and familiar at the same time.

The only changes I made to Heidi’s recipe were that I cut the raisins and the cilantro, two ingredients that I don’t love. She called hers a soup, but mine came out thick like a curry which we mixed with brown rice.

Ingredients:
-1 cup yellow split peas
-1 cup red lentils
-7 cups water
-1 carrot, chopped
-2 tblspn minced ginger
-2 tblspn curry powder
-2 tblspn butter
– 8 green onions (scallions), thinly sliced
-1/3 cup tomato paste
-1 14-ounce can coconut milk
-2 tspn sea salt
-cooked brown rice for serving (optional)

Directions:
-Rinse the split peas and lentils thoroughly
-Place them in an e soup pot, cover with the water, and bring to a boil
-Reduce heat to a simmer and add carrot and 1/4 of the ginger
-Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the split peas are soft
-In the meantime, in a small dry skillet over low heat, toast the curry powder until it is fragrant and set aside
-Place the butter in a pan over medium heat, add half of the green onions and the remaining ginger, saute for two minutes stirring constantly
-Add the tomato paste and saute for another minute or two more
-Add the toasted curry powder to the tomato paste mixture and mix well
-Add this to the soup
-Add coconut milk and salt
-Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes
-Sprinkle each bowl with remaining green onions