There comes a time in every food blogger’s life when she starts to experience serious blender envy. It started for me a few months ago, when I was cursing my cheap blender for its utter uselessness. I decided it was about time for a fancy blender of my own. So I contacted Blendtec (makers of the finest fancy blenders) and they kindly offered to help this poor food blogger out.
Not only did Blendtec send me the most gorgeous of all fancy blenders—the designer series—but they also agreed to let me give one away to one lucky reader! I wish I could pull an Oprah and give everyone a blender, but this is the best I can do.
This new blender works like a charm, guys. So far I’ve used it to make this ultra-creamy vegan soup (more on the soup in a minute), as well as coconut butter, hazelnut butter, cashew milk and avocado salsa verde.
I made the coconut butter first and the blender blew me away. What took me 15 minutes with my hand-me-down KitchenAid food processor took less than 45 seconds with this new blender, and I didn’t have to stop and scrape down the sides once. I just might retire the old food processor in favor of my new blender. I get giddy thinking about all the homemade pesto, hummus and nut butter we will make together.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of these new blenders is that they don’t have any knobs to catch drips (I’m messy) or look cluttered on the counter (I hate clutter). Thanks to a digital touch interface, the blender looks like a beautifully ambiguous machine when it’s not in use. It’s so easy to wipe clean with a damp rag. It’s also made in the USA and built to last, and the jars are made with BPA-free plastic.
My dear future blender winner, I should warn you that you may have trouble deciding which color to get. Champagne like mine, black, cream red? I deliberated on the choice for a while. I wanted a color that would coordinate well not only with my current tiny, dishwasher-less, crooked-cabineted kitchen, but also with my spacious and bright, white-subway-tile-backsplash-with-a-giant-dishwasher dream kitchen. Champagne seemed like a nice, neutral color and I think it will look dreamy in my future kitchen.
But maybe you already have a fancy blender. Maybe you want to hear about some soup you can make with it! I came across this one when I was flipping through Martha Stewart Living’s latest cookbook, Meatless. The cookbook is full of creative, easy vegetarian dishes that are right up my alley. I couldn’t decide what to cook first, but the title of this spicy, hearty soup captured my attention with the words “dried cherries” in the title. I adore tart dried cherries and the idea of incorporating them in a savory soup intrigued me. At first bite, I thought it was a bit of a funny combination, but after the flavors had a chance to meld, I really loved the addition.
Out of curiosity (read: I can’t stop playing with my new blender), I decided to try puréeing a bowl of soup after making it according to the cookbook’s directions. Though it produced a lusciously creamy bisque, my taste tester and I agreed that it was better when it retained some of the distinct textures and flavors of the ingredients. Bottom line: strain out some of the vegetables before pouring the rest in your blender as stated in the recipe below. It’s worth the extra trouble and the soup comes together quickly regardless.
PrintCurried Red Lentil Soup with Dried Cherries and Cilantro
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: Indian
Spicy vegan soup with bold Indian flavors, including curry powder and coconut milk. Fresh cilantro and tart cherries round out this hearty soup. This soup’s flavor depends on your selected curry powder, so choose one you love! Serve with a side of whole wheat naan, if you’d like.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 piece (about 2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped (¼ cup)
- 2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk (reduced fat or regular), divided
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup dried red lentils, picked over and rinsed
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped tart dried cherries or cranberries
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro stems, plus 3 tablespoons cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped ginger, garlic, shallot and carrots. Sprinkle a dash of the salt over the vegetables and cook until softened, stirring often, about 7 minutes.
- Add curry powder and cook, stirring continuously, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the rest of the salt, ½ cup of the coconut milk, the water and lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils and carrots are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Pass 2 cups of soup through a fine sieve into a bowl to separate the solids from the liquids. Reserve the solids for later and return the strained liquid to the pot of soup.
- Let the soup cool slightly, then puree the soup in a blender until smooth. You may need to do this in batches as you do not want to fill the blender jar more than halfway. If necessary, reheat soup after blending, then stir in the reserved solids.
- Reserve some cherries for garnish and stir the remaining into the soup, along with the cilantro stems. Ladle soup into 4 bowls and swirl in remaining ¼ cup coconut milk (1 tablespoon coconut milk per bowl). Garnish with cherries and cilantro leaves. This soup is great with a side of lightly toasted whole wheat naan.
Notes
- Recipe lightly adapted from Meatless: More Than 200 of the Very Best Vegetarian Recipes from Martha Stewart Living.
- On using a Blendtec blender for this recipe: my wildside jar was large enough to accommodate all of the soup that I needed to blend. I used the soup preset, which warmed up the soup as it blended it. So convenient!
- The recipe suggested to serve the soup immediately, but I preferred the next day’s reheated leftovers.
▸ Nutrition Information
UPDATE 2/14: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Heather for winning the Blendtec blender!
Now then, about that giveaway! One lucky winner will receive each of the following:
- One Blendtec Designer Series Blender with Wildside Jar
- One Twister Jar with spatula (shown above left, $119 value): great for nut butters, hard-to-blend mixtures and small batches.
You have three chances to enter:
- For one entry, leave a comment on this post to tell me what you would make with this blender.
- For one entry, follow cookieandkate via ANY of the following options and leave one comment to let me know: facebook, twitter, pinterest, instagram, google plus, RSS or receive blog posts by email. (If you already follow cookieandkate via any of those listed, that counts! Just leave one comment to tell me, and thank you for following. Please note that this option only counts as ONE entry even if you follow on multiple sites.)
- For one entry, subscribe to Blendtec’s weekly blog email newsletter and leave a comment to let me know.
Note that you must leave a separate comment for each potential entry. You will find the comment form at the bottom of this post.
The fine print: This giveaway is open to US residents only from Tuesday, February 5, 2013 until Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 11:59 pm CST. One winner will be selected using random.org and contacted via email. Winner will have 72 hours to respond before another winner is chosen. Entrants must submit a valid email address in order to be eligible to win. Entry email addresses will not be shared with any third parties. Maximum 3 entries per person.
Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by Blendtec. Blendtec sent me a blender to review and keep. Opinions expressed are my own, always. Disclosure: Affiliate links are used in this post and I’d be much obliged if you used them. Thank you.
Mary
I am following you on facebook.
Mary
I subscribed to BlendTec’s newsletter.
Maureen O'Neal
Oh, I think, to begin with, I’d make a VEGAN COCONUT CREAM PIE, for my Mom for her BIRTHDAY!
Sara Rosenberg
This looks soo yummy! If I had this blender I would make snicker doodle hummus:)
Maureen O'Neal
And, I’m following you on Facebook!
Sara Rosenberg
Followed you on Facebook!
Anndora
This soup looks amazing! This would be the first thing I make with me new blender!! Oh I hope!!
Sara Rosenberg
Signed up to receive blendtec’s emails! Your recipes are great btw!
Greg Parker
Would love to win this… Even if I don’t I love the blog. One of my favorite feeds. If I won its pretty simple. What a great product to make so many raw foods for my daughter. Its hard to convince children of the power of whole foods and a powerful machine like this one makes that easy… So super green smoothies and sorbets.
Sarah
If I were to win the blender I’d use it to make cupcakes (oatmeal, yogurt, banana muffins) and fruit “ice-cream” for breakfasts for my family.
Rebecca
I would love to make nut butter and smoothies!! :)
Greg Parker
Following the feed, pinterest, and subscribed to blentec’s email sub.
Jessica
I’d use the Blendtec to try green smoothies!
Sarah
I follow you in Pinterest and receive your emails. I love your recipes – Thanks!
Jessica
I follow you on google reader and just followed you on twitter
Sarah
I subscribed to Blendtech’s weekly email.
I hope I win :)
Teri Pastorino
I would make avocado chocolate pudding
I tried it tonight in my food processor and decorated the kitchen walls with chocolate. Lol not. Good idea
Teri Pastorino
I follow through rss and probably a few others too
Teri Pastorino
I subscribe to the blentec blog
Kristi
Banana and coconut ice cream
Kristi Jurich
Cacao and coconut ice cream
Teena Jibilian
I follow your blog posts by email and love receiving them!
Teena Jibilian
I would make green smoothies, hummus, and this beautiful vegan soup!
Teena Jibilian
I’m a subscriber to the Blendtec blog. That savory beet soup recipe on their blog looks good. I would make that too!
Hannah N.
I would love to make some ice cream for the warmer months with this blender. I also want to try making a soup, like yours! I’ve never made any kind of soup using a blender and I would love to try.
I am also a subscriber to your blog via RSS.
Kristi Jurich
I have subscribed to Blendtec’s blog :)
Kristi Jurich
I follow you on Facebook
Emily @ Color Coded
I would use it for my yummy lemon garlic hummus and SMOOTHIES!
Caroline @ chocolate
What a great giveaway! I would make loads of smoothies for my mom and son. :)
Kathy Ketter
I would make your soup recipe. it sounds scrumptious. Thanks.
kate
this blender would make my and my husband’s lives so much simpler. both of us are training (he’s a professional athlete, i’m gearing up for a half-marathon in paris!) and we can’t get enough fruit/veggie packed smoothies – greek yogurt, kale, carrots, almond butter, berries and agave. would love to whip them up with this beautiful machine!
kate
oh, and i’m following you on twitter and pinterest – love it!
JoBeth
I would make a simple broccoli soup with just 3 ingredients – broccoli, salt, and water. Simple, cheap and delicious!
jen
Wow! This soup is totally getting me back on lentils! It’s gorgeous, too :) I would love to try a Blendtec. Looking forward to checking out the recipes from the blog. Subscribed!
Sass
*Entry*
Followed you on Facebook! (Can’t believe I hadn’t already so I will now look forward to snippets of your wisdom in my news feed)
Sass
*Entry*
Subscribed (& confirmed subscription) to Blendtec’s weekly blog email newsletter!
Sass
*Entry*
For its first task, I’d have to use the Blendtec to make my favourite soup (which I have even cooked, frozen & sent to sick friends interstate before & is a winner every time!!) – Matt Moran’s Parsnip Soup w Mushrooms & Bacon (http://www.abc.net.au/local/recipes/2010/06/29/2939930.htm)
Amazinggg!!!
bonnie schmitt
Well, I have 7 month old and another on the way so having this blender would be such a time saver as I make all his babyfood and my hubby and I love making soups and bisques, butternut squash is one of our favorites along with fruit smoothies, and endless nut butters!
bonnie schmitt
Also, I’m excited to start following you on Pinterest all your posts look so yummy!
Alicia K
I would make some smoothies!
Alicia K
I follow you on twitter.
Audrey
I would make lots of smoothies!
Audrey
I like you on FB
Audrey
I subscribe to the Blendtec blog.
Merit
following you on pinterest
Merit
Cold February weather calls for soup.
Kelly
I subscribed to Blentec and follow you on Pinterest and Facebook! Would love a new blender..mine is a weakling !
Em
It’s so hard to decide on something, so many possibilities. I’d have to take your word for it and try out making coconut butter…It takes way too long to do it in a food processor!
Also, following you on Pinterest. Thanks for all the great posts!
Hilary
I could stop saving my pennies for a new blender if I win this!
Hilary
Started following you on Facebook!
Hilary
Subscribe to Blendtec’s weekly blog email newsletter too!
Kim K.
Oh man… I would make green smoothies galore in that baby!
Theresa Hays
what a great way to start the year!
Stephanie Khoury
Well after I make your soup (it looks delicious) I would use the Blendtec to make some homemade hummus or maybe pesto.
SL
I don’t even know where to start. I would make oat flour, and almond butter, and chocolate almond butter, and smoothies, and soups, and coconut butter, oh and in the summer I would make this https://cookieandkate.com/2011/watermelon-mint-sorbet/ :)
Melissa Perry
I’d make yummy fruit and veggie purees for my 9 month old! And this delicious lentil soup.
Amy C
My cheaper blender just died yesterday. I would love a Blendtec so I could make smoothies for my daughters.
Stephanie Khoury
I follow you on Instagram too.
Mindy Temple
I would make curried red lentil soup with dried cherries and cilantro, of course! And maybe icecream! Thanks for the opportunity.
Amanda
I would make nut butters, and sorrel pesto.
hollykate
I would make lots of smoothies with this blender! also butternut squash and apple soup, yum!
hollykate
I’m also following you via twitter & pinterest!
hollykate
I have very excitedly subscribed to Blendtec’s weekly blog email newsletter.
Good luck to all those who have entered!
Dora
I subscribed to the Blendtec newsletter! Now hoping I can make all the recipes on their site too!
Abigail Callahan
I would make smoothies, juices, nut butters and soups!
Abigail Callahan
Also subscribed to Blendtecs weekly blog!
Jill
A green smoothie!! I’ve been dreaming of owning a Blendtec.
Jill
Following on pinterest.
Jill
I subscribed to Blendtec’s weekly blog e-mail. Now I just gotta win so I can use all of their recipes. :)
misschels
I would love to make cashew cream with this thing! Yum!
misschels
I follow you on Twitter!
misschels
I subscribe to Blendtec’s blog!
Ashlie
I can’t have dairy and I’ve been wanting to make cashew-based cheeses and pastry cream for years, but I don’t have a blender capable of doing it – this would be at the very top of my to-do list! Thanks for an amazing give away!
Katie Yohnke
What couldn’t you use this for?! As a vegetarian I have loads of options! from tofu chocolate pudding to tofu/walnut meatballs. The possibilities are endless!
Katia
Loyal follower through Google Reader/ RSS feed for a while! Love the recipes!
Katia
Also, I’ve never owned but always wanted a blender, especially now that I’ve suddenly grown studied of all commercial hummus. Yogurt- based smoothies are also something I would make regularly. She I’m DYING to try this soup!
Jamie @ Thrifty Vegg
Beautiful soup! I won this exact blender on another blog and LOVE it!!!!
Katy
I would go crazy making nutbutters!! My current blender/food processor takes 30 minutes to make almond butter. I would also make more sauces!
Krystina
Loads of homemade baby purees for my eight-month old! Along with some luscious soups and sauces for me and hubby. I’m excited to try out this lentil soup recipe, it’s looks delicious.
Stacy
I would make a milkshake!
annulla
If I won, I’d make my world-famous butternut-apple soup. OK, it isn’t really world-famous, but it is definitely good – and the perfect thing for a snowy, blustery day.
Jane
With such a powerful blender I would try my hand at coconut butter. It seems much more economical to make one’s own
Jennie
I would make my favorite hummus recipe and anything that includes pureed butternut squash (my favorite!)
AW
Wow where to start… I’d first give this soup recipe a try before the winter cold is replaced by warm spring sunshine: http://www.roostblog.com/roost/roasted-heirloom-cauliflower-and-chestnut-soup.html. Next I’d make your tropical pesto again from your coconut quinoa and kale recipe- one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever made! Finally I really want to try my hand at making nut butters- I’m really inspired by these flavours: http://www.spreadtherestaurant.com/catalog/index.php. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Allison Z.
I subscribed to the Blendtec site!
Allison Z.
Oh, and i would make triple squash soup. Yummy!
Meagan
I have been dying to make the hummus from Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem…I’ve heard rumor that it tastes JUST like actual hummus from Jerusalem! Now I just need the tools! :) Thanks for the giveaway!
Meagan
I follow you on pinterest!
Julie
I would make lots of soup with this blender!
Julie
I receive your blog posts by email
Veronika
I would love to make a lentil curry soup with this blender
Alice DiTullio
I would make many wonderful things with this blender. I love to make foods from scratch, such as almond milk and almond flour, coconut milk, butter and flour. During warmer months I would make nut milk ice creams and shakes.
Alice DiTullio
I subscribed to the Blendtec newsletter!
connie keeney
Currry-carrot soup ………….fantastic when you can make it as smoothe as that blender could!
annulla
I’m following you on twitter! @annulla
Kelsey
SMOOTHIES!!!!!!! I make green smoothies and protein smoothies at least 3 times a week in a crummy blender.
Annie
I would make kale smoothies that I didn’t have to chew… if only
Rosanna
I’m obsessed with red lentils lately. I just made this red lentil dish from the Art of Living According to Joe Beef which is described as “a bit of a Quebecois-lumberjack-in-Bollywood taste.” Delicious, the recipe is available on the web and you can easily omit the bacon to make it vegetarian. I’d up the salt though as the sweet/salty taste really makes the dish.
KimB
Hmm, I would make roasted tomato soup. And maybe some baby food in the near future!
Kate
I love making root vegetable purees and experimenting with different flavors – Blendtec would enhance my ability to do so!