A lovely satisfying soup for the cooler months, made with a handful of basic ingredients. Simple to cook in a tiny kitchen, using fresh carrots and store cupboard ingredients.
If you add more red lentils and blend less, it can be enjoyed over rice, making it more like dahl. A dual-purpose recipe!
I add lentils to increase the protein, fibre, iron and B vitamins, plus to make the soup more filling.
Another of my vegan recipes. I hope you enjoy!
Portions: 3 generous
Prep and Cook Time: About 1 hour
Cookware: A medium saucepan and blender (I use a wand blender)
- 2 shallots – chopped
- 2 cm fresh ginger – finely chopped (or swap with 1/2 tsp ground ginger)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- red chilli – to taste – finely chopped (I used 1/2 red chilli and sometimes flakes)
- 300g carrots (approx 5 medium) – chopped
- 50g red split lentils (if eating as a dahl type dish, add an extra 30g red lentils)
- 600ml veg stock (I use a Kallo cube) plus hot water to thin soup, if needed
- 3cms creamed coconut – roughly chopped
- coriander – chopped (optional)
Method
Heat a little oil in your saucepan and gently sauté the shallots for 5 minutes until softened but not browned, then add the ginger, chilli and spices. Cook on low heat, whilst stirring together for 2 minutes
Add the chopped carrots to the saucepan, mix with spices and let them sweat gently for 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add the warm stock and lentils. Mix well and bring to the boil, then immediately turn down to simmer, partially cover the pan with a lid. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Now add the coconut chunks, stir and simmer for another 10 minutes.
By now the carrots and lentils will be soft. Cool for a few minutes then blend until smooth, if using as soup. I often add 50ml of water to loosen the soup.
If you plan to enjoy the recipe with rice, you barely need to blend, so leave it more chunky.
Season to taste with salt and chilli flakes.
Serve
In warmed bowls with a sprinkle of dukkah (see my recipe) and a hunk of bread. Served with my homemade bread in the above photo.
Enjoy!
