Lentil Coconut Curry Soup

1 lb. bag lentils, picked through and rinsed
1 TB coconut oil
1 can of  white beans, rinsed
1 onion, finely chopped
2 small carrots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 roasted red pepper (I used Trader Joe's in a jar, but any pre-roasted will work)
2 tsp. garam masala (recipe to follow)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
7 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
3-4 chicken breasts (I used thin cut breasts, and cooked them separately)

Directions:
1). Heat oil & sautee onions until soft.
2). Add roasted peppers and spices.  Sautee for1-2 more minutes.
3). Add the broth and coconut milk and simmer until lentils are tender.  Add can of white beans once the lentils are tender to heat through. 
4). Once soup is done cooling, puree until desired consistency.
5). Add cooked chopped chicken.

Optional Steps:
1). Add 1 small can of tomato paste
2). Fresh ginger is always good, but don't add more than 1 TB fresh grated. 


Homemade Garam Masala
1 TB ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves (I leave this out because I hate cloves)