Thai Lentil Soup, or I would have taken a picture, but the locusts ate it all

My original plans for dinner didn't appeal when the time came to cook them, and yet the children keep insisting on being fed multiple times per day, whether I want to cook or not.  So I had to figure out what did sound good to me, and I decided on Thai lentil soup. Only, I've never cooked such a thing and had no recipe. A bit of Googling didn't yield quite what I was looking for, so I had to start inventing -- and fortunately for me, my pantry was well stocked with strange food items.  Here's the recipe, for posterity and because I've been told I need to make it again soon, so I'd better remember it.  This makes a lot, but my family ate every single bit (not that my family isn't on the large side) -- even the 3 and 5 year olds asked for more than one helping.

Thai Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 lb. French lentils
10 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
dash of fish sauce
salt and red pepper flakes to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
chopped peanuts or cashews to garnish

• Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat and saute onions until very soft, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, place lentils in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water for 15 minutes. 
• Drain lentils. When onion is softened, add garlic, ginger, lemon zest and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes.
• Add lentils, broth, coconut milk, curry paste, fish sauce, salt and pepper.
• Cover and bring to a boil. When boiling lower heat to a simmering temperature, uncover, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add cilantro. For a thicker soup, blend part of the soup in a blender or for a few seconds with an immersion blender.
• Garnish with peanuts or cashews.