Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

A simple store-cupboard ingredient soup to get you through the cold winter season. Warming Indian curry spiced lentils and carrots with a splash of decadent cream and textures of croutons and nigella seeds, make this dahl-inspired soup a regular on our dinner table.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup

Cuisine Indian

Servings portions

Calories 317 kcal

Equipment

Immersion Blender or Liquidiser

Ingredients

1 brown onion finely chopped
2 carrots (about 200g) chopped into small cubes
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 red chilli deseeded and finely chopped
100 g red lentils
700 ml vegetable stock
10 g fresh coriander stalks and leaves chopped separately
1 lime (juice only) ~30 ml of juice
2-3 tbsp double cream or vegan alternative
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 bread roll or croutons cut into bitesize pieces

Instructions

Heat a large, wide-based pot with a drizzle of oil. Add the onions and carrots with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 minutes until just starting to soften.
Tip in the finely chopped red chilli (if you like it fiery, add the seeds too), reserving some to decorate. Add the curry powder, ground cumin, red lentils and coriander stalks. Stir well and cook for a minute or so until spices start to release fragrance.
Dissolve stock in 700 ml of boiling water and add it to the lentil mixture. Stir, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until lentils are cooked and carrots are tender.
In the meantime, cut up your bread roll into bite-sized pieces. Spread them on a tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and season. Pre-heat your grill to medium heat and place the bread chunks under the grill to dry and crisp up. Keep an eye on them - they can burn in a jiffy!
Once the carrots and lentils are cooked, remove from heat, use a stick blender or pour into a liquidiser and pulse until it's thickened slightly, but some chunks of carrot remain. Add coriander leaves and juice of ½ a lime. Season to taste.
To serve, divide the soup into two bowls, swirl the cream to create a pretty pattern. Garnish with the saved chilli, nigella seeds and croutons. Serve with a lime wedge on the side!

Nutrition

Calories: 317kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 16gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 1449mgPotassium: 939mgFiber: 19gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 11767IUVitamin C: 49mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 6mg

Keyword Carrot and Lentil Soup, Carrot Lentil Soup, Carrot Soup, Curried Carrot Soup, Curried Soup, Dahl Soup, Dal Soup, Lentil Soup, Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup

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