Curried Carrot Lentil Soup

I usually reduce the chilli to 1/4 teaspoon and for additional protein increase the amount of dried lentils to 1 cup (proportionally increasing the liquid amount).

Ingredients

1 kg carrots
120 g red split lentils
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tsp of ginger, finely grated
½-¾ tsp of hot chilli powder
2 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of garam masala
Juice of ½ lime
1½ litre of vegetable stock, unsalted
3 tbsp of olive oil
1½ tsp of sea salt, adjust to taste
¼ cup of coconut milk

Instructions

OPTIONAL: Pre-heat the oven to 200° C / 400° F. Scrub carrots clean, cut them in half lengthwise and chop into 3 cm pieces. Place on a baking tray, coat 1 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and 1 tsp of cumin. Roast until tender – around 30 minutes. You can also skip this step and simmer the carrots in stock with lentils later on.

Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a pot and add in the onion. Cook it gently for a few minutes until softened. Add chopped garlic and grated ginger. Keep on stirring the mixture frequently so that the garlic doesn’t burn.

Add ground spices (garam masala, cumin and chilli) and coat onion-garlic-ginger mixture in them. Fry spices off for two minutes to release their aromas, stirring frequently.

If you have skipped the first step, add chopped carrots and pour enough stock to immerse them. Simmer (covered) for about 15 mins and then add rinsed red lentils. Simmer for another 15 minutes until lentils are carrots and lentils are soft. If you roasted your carrots in the over, simply cook lentils in stock until soft and add roast carrots before blending.

Blend the soup until smooth using a stick blender or a standing blender. Return the soup back to the pot. Add the rest of the stock and loosen with a bit of water if needed. Season with salt, lime juice and simmer for another 5 minutes or so.

Serve with a swirl of coconut milk on top.

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