Unless you're a real cumin lover, consider cutting the cumin in half for this recipe. We found that the flavour "bloomed" when the soup sat for a bit. The soup is quite thick, so be prepared to thin it out with a little additional stock.
Makes 2.5 litres or about 7 generous servings
Ingredients:
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- pinch chilli flakes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 250 ml - 1 cup onion, diced finely
- 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel) – about 8-10 carrots
- 200 g split red lentils – about a cup
- 2 litre – 8 cups vegetable stock (from a cube is fine)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- plain yogurt to serve
- Heat a large saucepan and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 min, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas. Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside.
- Add the oil, onion and garlic and sauté for a few minutes until the onion is soft.
- Add carrots, lentils and stock to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 mins until the lentils have swollen and softened. Add the nutmeg.
- Whizz the soup with a stick blender until smooth (or leave it chunky if you prefer).
- Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the reserved toasted spices. Serve with warmed naan breads
Carrot Lentil soup is delish! I sometimes add madras curry paste and coconut milk to a batch to change it up some. I garnish with toasted coconut.
ReplyDeleteOh that sounds yummy. This is a great soup to use as a backdrop for all kinds of additions and modifications.
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