In case you still have a jar of yellow curry paste…

Yellow curry lentils + lemony roasted cauliflower and cilantro

If you’re like me, you might still have that jar of yellow curry paste I asked you to buy two weeks ago hanging out in your fridge, standing there hoping each time you open the door that it will get a second chance at life. 

“Pick me, pick me!” it says as you slide in a jar of something new.

I’m good at buying new ingredients. I’m not always the best at using them up. What can I say? I like novelty. 

But in an effort to waste less (and save some dollars), I’m making a more conscious effort to use up ingredients more quickly, even when they last for a long time. 

This brings me back to the yellow curry paste. While I thought I’d use the paste as a rub for chicken or stirred in with some ground lamb (both of which you could do), I combined it with legumes again, this time in a red lentil soup. 

Toasted with some cilantro, the paste has a chance to fully permeate the lentils, which go from dried to soupy within 20 minutes.

Red lentils are the starchy interior of yellow lentils. When I first cooked them many years ago, I was upset that they broke down into mush. Later, I realized that this texture (and quick-cooking quality) was part of their appeal. 

If you have some good-quality broth on hand, you could add it instead of water to enrich the flavor, but it’s not necessary. (Just be sure to salt the water well.)