Spiced Carrot and Red Lentil Soup
Great for boosting iron levels
Recipe Serves 4
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Ingredients:
2tsp cumin seeds
1 pinch chilli flakes
2tbsp olive oil
600g carrots, coarsely grated
140g split red lentils
1l vegetable stock
125ml milk
Plain yogurt and naan bread, to serve
Nutritional information per serving:
kcal - 238
Fat - 7g
Saturates - 1g
Carbohydrates - 34g
Sugars - 0g
Fibre - 5g
Protein - 11g
Salt - 0.25g
Method:
1 Heat a large saucepan on a medium to high heat and dry-fry the cumin seeds and chilli flakes for 1 minute, or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.
2 Scoop out about half of the seeds with a spoon and set aside.
3 Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes on a medium heat, or until the lentils have swollen and softened.
4 Blitz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth.
5 Season to taste and finish using a swirl of yogurt and a sprinkling of the other half of toasted seeds. Serve with warmed naan breads.
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Recipe Tips:
1 To make your soup dairy-free, use a tin of reduced-fat coconut milk.
2 To give your soup a Moroccan twist you swap the chilli flakes and cumin seeds for a 2tsp of harissa paste. Then add cooked shredded chicken at the end of cooking.
Preparation: 10mins / Cook: 15mins
Slow Cooker Method:
1 Place half the cumin seeds, half the chilli flakes, the oil, carrots, lentils and 700ml stock into your slow cooker pot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours until the lentils are tender.
2 Dry-fry the remaining cumin seeds and chilli flakes just until fragrant.
3 When the lentils are done, stir in the milk and whizz up the soup depending on how chunky you'd like it.