My husband and I are huge fans of curry, whether it's Indian, Thai or simply powdered on popcorn. Unsurprisingly, some of the best curry we've ever had has been in the U.K. Ed's aunt and uncle live in Shrawley in Worcestershire, England, and took us to Ashley's when we were in town checking out our little church in Shelsley Beauchamp—we so wish Ashley's could be a local takeaway restaurant and wasn't located halfway around the world.

On our honeymoon in Edinburgh, we tried out Pataka, an Indian and Bengali curry house with a classic menu and decor inspired by Scottish architect/artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Their Chat Pottie (chickpeas with lentils, eggs, spring onion, fresh coriander and spices) was absolutely fantastic. 

After our honeymoon in Scotland, we returned to London for one night in Shoreditch, a trendy area in the city's east end. I did some research and came across Dishoom, a local Indian restaurant chain that pays loving homage to the Irani cafés that were once part of the fabric of life in Bombay. I had the Paneer Tikka, with with fresh cheese that's marinated and then gently charred with red and green bell peppers. Usually when I have paneer it's in the form of Palak Paneer (cheese in spinach sauce) and I really liked this different take on it.

All of this is a roundabout way to say that I'm a fan of curry dishes, whether near or far. This week we cooked up an incredibly simple Curried Lentil Soup that was both delicious and satisfying. The bad part about summer is that soups just seem too stifling, so I'm taking advantage of recipes like this while I can. 

MAIN INGREDIENTS

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced

1 rib celery, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups vegetable broth

1 pound lentils

7 oz. light coconut milk 

SPICES & MORE

1.5 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon turmeric

0.5 teaspoon cumin

0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

STEPS

1) Heat olive oil over medium heat high and add onion, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté 5-6 minutes or until tender.

2) Add curry powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, cumin, black pepper and stir to combine. Add full bag of uncooked lentils and vegetable stock.

3) Cover and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender and soup is a bit thickened. 

4) Finish by stirring in coconut milk.